Meet Colonel Anshu Jamwal, First Woman Officer To Command Air Defence Unit

Any profession in the Indian Army has always been considered an occupation for men but Colonel Anshu Jamwal begged to differ from this mindset. In the landmark achievement for the Indian Army, Colonel Anshu Jamwal became the first woman officer to lead an Air Defence Regiment.

Colonel Anshu Jamwal completed her graduation from GCW Gandhinagar Jammu. She hails from the Rahiya village of Jammu. She was commissioned on March 18, 2006, from Officers Training Academy Chennai. She has worked as an instructor at OTA Chennai and AD College. Apart from this, Anshu has also worked with the United Nations Peacekeeping Force as a Military Observer in MONUSCO. On returning to India, she was posted at the Army Headquarters. She has now been given the responsibility of commanding an operational air defence regiment of the Indian Army.

Colonel Anshu Jamwal’s father Mr Bir Singh Jamwal couldn’t control his happiness after her daughter created history by becoming the first woman army officer to lead an air defence regiment. He said that he was present on the occasion when his daughter took command of the unit. Bir Singh Jamwal said that his daughter always aspired to do something different in life while the family insisted her to make a career in the field of education. “Initially we wanted her to become a teacher, but she wanted to do something different. I decided to support her,” her father recounted, sharing memories of training runs at Govt Gandhi Memorial Science College in Jammu.

While sharing about her preparation, her father Bir Singh Jamwal said that her daughter used to run at Gandhi Memorial Degree College Jammu while he counted her rounds around the college. Colonel Anshu Jamwal’s father expressed immense pride during the ceremony when Colonel Jamwal officially took over the regiment’s command, marking her name in the history books by becoming the first-ever woman to do so. “We are happy that our daughter will command an Air Defence Regiment and she has become the first woman officer to do so.” Singh feels proud of her daughter as now she will be serving her country in difficult areas including Leh.