Nav view search
Navigation
Search
Group Captain Rajiv Dobhal
| Service No & Branch | 24022 F(P) |  | |||||||
| Date of Birth: -- --- ---- | Commissioned: 29 Jun 1996 | Course: 157 Course | |||||||
| Service End: | Nick Name : | ||||||||
| Qualifications Held : | |||||||||
| Remarks : | |||||||||
| |||||||||
Badges Qualified  | |||||||||
| Google the Bharat Rakshak Website for : "R Dobhal" | |||||||||
| Vayu Sena Medal (Gallantry) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wg Cdr | Rajiv Dobhal | 24022 F(P) | Award Date 26 Jan 2016 | Announced 26 Jan 2016 |
| Details : | Wing Commander Rajiv Dobhal (24022) Flying (Pilot) is commanding a front line Mi-17 VS Unit since 12 May 14. On 25 Apr 15, the Unit was tasked to participate in Op Maitri in Nepal. Within a few hours, Wg Cdr R Dobhal got airborne and positioned at Gorakhpur in difficult weather conditions. He thereafter proceeded to Kathmandu at first light and as the officer in charge of operations; he immediately took up the challenge and assisted the IAF Task Force Commander in formulating operating procedures. Thus, within hours of induction on foreign soil, IAF helicopters were able to commence relief operations. In the following three weeks, he flew 176 sorties, undertaking several demanding missions and rescuing numerous survivors. The most noteworthy was the rescue of 95 stranded Indian mountaineers from Lukla- one of the most dangerous airfields in the world. On 05 May 15, the IAF contingent was tasked for an urgent evacuation of a Spanish rescue team from Langthang village at an altitude of 12,500 feet. Due to the criticality of the mission, the Spanish Ambassador and Defence Attache personally briefed the pilots and stressed the fact that their team was ill equipped to survive the night. Mindful of the high risk involved and the team's survival, Wg Cdr R Dobhal got airborne after carrying out meticulous mission planning. On landing at Langthang, he found that the rescue team had moved away. The situation started becoming critical due to onset of a hailstorm and deteriorating light conditions. After thoroughly assessing the risks involved, he decided to search for the team. With the weather close at heels, he flew along the valley bottom and finally spotted the team 10km away. Displaying utmost professionalism, he skillfully maneuvered his helicopter to land on a restricted field and rescued the Spanish team. As the helicopter exited the valley, the entire area was engulfed by hailstorm. Thus, in the face of adverse conditions, he gallantly executed an extremely demanding mission and earned accolades for IAF from the international community. For this act of exceptional courage, Hon'ble President is pleased to award Vayu Sena Medal (Gallantry) to Wing Commander Rajiv Dobhal. | |||
| Unit : | ||||
| Reference : Air Force Day Booklet | ||||
The data in the header section of this page comes from the Gazette of India - Click here to see the source
The URL for this page is http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/24022
Note: All the data available here is publicly available in the Gazette of India, published by the Indian Government, or from public domain sources, press releases about Awards and Right-To-Information (RTI) Requests. Additionally data shared by veterans is added to the page with permission. No data with respect to serving officers below the rank of AVM is displayed. Information in Gazette of India and Award citations and photographs as released by the Indian Air Force are the only details displayed.