AFVOA Newsletter of Year 2021

Section 6 - Memoirs CV 2 No. 01 / 2021 Page 79 of 123 5 My Role in Air Force Wives Welfare Association Gp Capt L V Mohandas Genre: Reflections FWWA was formed on 28th October, 1970 as a registered body to provide assistance to the families of deceased / disabled/ retired / serving personnel of the Indian Air Force. AFWWA also extends its helping hand to poor and needy people of the society. Over decades the association is doing a great service to the families of the serving personnel in resolving various domestic issues and conducting various medical camps, well baby shows etc. At the Apex the First Lady of the Air Force is the President with a committee and likewise down to the Station level the first lady becomes the President. Similar is the set up at Army & Navy. In those days when there were no women officers in the Air Force, Station would nominate an officer to be the Secretary. He helped the first lady in administrative matters and coordinated various activities. I happened to perform this role during my tenure of duties. It was indeed a sensitive and tricky situation as your performance is monitored by the first lady and the Station Commander. Generally a Met officer is asked to perform this role, for reasons not understood by me till I superannuated! I held this portfolio for nearly 20 years at various stations and Command Headquarters. Before you report to a new station on posting, the incoming station is waiting to grab you for this additional task. The local AFWWA President at all places had been nice, kind and caring, notwithstanding the mood & temperament of the boss of the station. The flip side had been you are envied by other officers, who perceive you have easy access to the boss through the first lady, not realising you are tense with this work. I happened to become Regional Secretary at Command level when I was a young officer, then as a Wing Commander and later Group Captain too. You need to prepare brief, notes and budget as well for AFWWA. I had to advise the AOC/ First Lady to adopt a nearby village or women’s orphanage to help them, which indeed earned goodwill in the neighbourhood. In order to run AFWWA shop, I had to coordinate with various stations and procure local items for the benefit of station. A