Saga of Courage: Garud Commandos are counted among those elite special forces of India whose name makes the enemy tremble. As difficult as it is to be selected in this force, it is equally difficult to complete its longest and most tiring training. After more than a thousand days of training, the youth who pass get the opportunity to serve the motherland as Garud Commandos. Let’s know about this special force…
Garud is the most lethal weapon of the Air Force
This special force, formed in February 2004, got its name from Garuda Dev. Like the Garuda bird, these commandos are a part of the Indian Air Force. The difficult training of Garud commandos in various elite forces of the Navy, Army and Air Force is about 1000 days. They have the responsibility of working on special tasks in the country’s Air Force bases and in the event of war. Garud commandos are equipped with heavy weapons. This force is specially prepared for attacking the enemy’s airspace, destroying enemy radars and other equipment, special combat and rescue operations.
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Difficult training is completed in several stages
The training of Garud Commando is of about three years but it is completed in several stages. In the first stage, the youth selected for Garud Commando are given 72 weeks of basic training at Hindon Airbase in Ghaziabad. This includes the use of parachute. After this, they are sent to the Naval School from there and then to the Army’s Outer Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School. In this way, they are trained in every kind of situation and every kind of war skills.
This is why it was formed
In 2001, terrorists attacked two air bases of the Indian Air Force in Jammu and Kashmir. After these attacks, the need for a Garud Commando Force was felt for the security of the air force bases and counter operations. After this, the Air Force prepared its own selection process and formed the Garud Commando Force. This force was prepared on the lines of Para SF and Indian Navy’s Marcos.
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Air Force officer leads
While in MARCOS and PARA SF, commandos are called and tested from various army units for selection, Garud commandos are selected by the army itself and they are its permanent personnel. A squadron leader or an officer of the rank of Flight Lieutenant leads a team of 60 to 70 members of Garud commandos deployed at every air force station.
Proving their utility everywhere
Initially, this commando force was kept only for air force bases and counter insurgency. However, over time, seeing their utility, Garud Commandos are now being deployed in almost every problem of the country. Recently, during the India-China confrontation, this force was deployed on the peaks of strategic importance in Ladakh. Also, since 2019, they have been included in the Armed Forces Special Operations Division of Jammu and Kashmir, which is taking part in action against terrorists.