Ahmedabad, Aug 14 (IANS) Nine women officers from the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force were felicitated in Ahmedabad on Friday after completing the first-ever Tri-Services All-Women Circumnavigation Sailing Expedition, ‘Samudra Pradakshina’, a 314-day voyage covering nearly 25,500 nautical miles across four oceans.
Air Marshal PV Shivanand, AVSM, VM, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the South Western Air Command (SWAC), felicitated the officers at a ceremony held at Headquarters SWAC on August 14.
The expedition was undertaken aboard the Indian Army Sailing Vessel (IASV) Triveni. The voyage subjected the crew to demanding physical and mental challenges over its 314-day duration.
Its successful completion reflected the officers’ courage, resilience, teamwork, and commitment.
Senior officials from the Indian Army, Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard, Central Reserve Police Force, Border Security Force, and civil administration, along with children from various schools, attended the event.
Interacting with the officers, Air Marshal Shivanand commended their achievement and described ‘Samudra Pradakshina’ as an example of Nari Shakti and Tri-Service jointness.
He praised the team’s determination, leadership and mental resilience in dealing with the difficulties encountered during the voyage.
He also highlighted the importance of collective effort and conviction in pursuing challenging objectives, saying that “no endeavour is beyond reach when pursued with conviction and collective effort”.
The officers, in turn, shared their experiences from the voyage, including the challenges they encountered and the lessons they learnt in teamwork, leadership and perseverance.
Their participation forms part of the increasing involvement of women in challenging operational and expeditionary roles in the Armed Forces.
Air Marshal Shivanand congratulated the officers on their accomplishment and said their achievement would inspire young women across the country to pursue challenging goals and break conventional barriers.
The completion of ‘Samudra Pradakshina’ marks a significant achievement for the Indian Armed Forces and highlights the role of jointness, women’s participation and professional excellence in undertaking demanding expeditions.
–IANS
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