#Wholesome2023: IAF Chooses The First Female Officer To Head A Frontline Combat Unit

When women go off the beaten track and make their own path, inspiring millions of women while doing so, it surely makes for a #Wholesome2023.?

That is what Shaliza Dhami succeeded doing in 2023; she scripted history in March when she became the 1st female officer selected to head a frontline combat unit.?

Shaliza Dhami/ ANI

Who is Shaliza Dhami?

Shaliza Dhami had been commissioned as a helicopter pilot in 2003 and had already flown for over 2,800 hours when she bagged this opportunity.?A qualified Flying Instructor, Shaliza Dhami, had also served as Flight Commander of a Helicopter unit in the Western sector.?

Born in Ludhiana, Punjab, Captain Dhami had received her Bachelor of Technology in Electronics and Communications.? ?

This is for the first time in the Indian Air Force's history that a woman officer has been given command of a frontline combat unit - the missile squadron in the Western sector facing Pakistan.?

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Wing Commander Dhami is the first female flight instructor and woman to earn a permanent commission in the flying branch of the Air Force, both of which she achieved during her fifteen years of service.?

The Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief commended Dhami on two occasions, and she was posted in the Operations branch of a frontline Command headquarters when she was chosen to head a frontline combat unit.?

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How the three services have begun to follow a gender-neutral approach

Earlier, Indian Army had also started assigning women officers to command posts outside of the medical branch, with roughly 50 of them scheduled to lead units in operational regions, including forward locations, under the Northern and Eastern Commands, which are in charge of securing India's borders with China.?

In January 2023, for instance, the Army for the first time, deployed a female officer, Captain Shiva Chouhan, at Siachen, the world's highest and coldest battleground.?

The three services have thus begun following a gender-neutral approach, and 2023 has definitely been a breakthrough year for women in this regard.??

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