AFOVA New Letter 2 of Year 2021

Section 7 – Panorama CV 2 No. 02 / 2021 Page 238 of 332 5 A Long March Cmdr G Prakash NM Genre: Reminiscence ilitary academies are interesting places. They are so, as they use interesting methods to convert carefully selected Cadets into military leaders. Military leadership teaches how to lead people in the face of extreme adversity. The stakes most times being national prestige or even national existence, performance at the risk of injury and even death has to come naturally. That is tough. Very tough. Therefore, unusual methods abound at military academies. Here is an account, part truth, part fantasy. Those who have been through the real thing may find it tough to figure out the ratio of truth and fantasy, as often, truth challenges fantasy at Military Academies. So, here we go, with an episode from 1981, of a long march. Somewhere along the way, important lessons get imprinted in minds with such marches. At the National Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakwasla, Pune, Cadets are organized into Squadrons, which are named simply by the English alphabet. Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta and so on. These Squadrons engage every semester (Term) in a life and death struggle to become the Champion Squadron, which would win them, the coveted ‘Banner’. This victory that comes at the end of a bewildering series of back to back competitions which test mental, psychological, intellectual, moral and physical capacities gives the winning Squadron the pride of place in all activities in the next Term. In the next Term, they will lead parades and their members will have the proud privilege of announcing their exalted status by wearing their lanyard on their right shoulder when in uniform. Lesser mortals will wear their lanyard on the left shoulder.