New Delhi : For the first time, four-legged ‘soldiers’ who accompany troops in combat zones for sanitisation exercises and logistical tasks will be decorated with special medals instituted exclusively for them on lines of those given to troops.
The initiative has been taken by Sino-India border guarding force ITBP which has instituted an ‘Animal Transport’ and a ‘K9’ (canine) medal and has chosen its workhorse ‘Thubderbolt’ and female dog ‘Sophia’ for the maiden decoration to be awarded to them during its forthcoming 55th anniversary celebrations. While the Indo-Tibetan Border Police force has been credited for inducting the first Belgian Malinois dogs for anti-Naxal operations in the country and other tough assignments like infantry patrols few years back, the force traditionally has a strong animal transport unit comprising horses, mules and ponies to aid troops guarding the high-altitude posts along the 3,488 km long China border.
Officials said this will be the first time that a security force had ordered the minting of special medals in this regard and till now exemplary work by these four-legged soldiers was recognised by issuing of regular commendation cards by the force chief or others. The ITBP, they said, has made a beginning in recognising the exemplary and loyal support of these animals who literally walk shoulder-to-shoulder with the men in uniform whether in operations or any task in the internal security domain. “The canines, horses and other animals are our silent arm which keeps working relentlessly.
“The institution of medals is a special way to convey that we are thankful to them for their loyal services. “The metal medals have been designed and minted in-house,” ITBP Spokesperson Deputy Commandant Vivek K Pandey told PTI. The special medals were recently approved by ITBP Director General Krishna Chaudhary who will himslef honour Sophia and Thunderbolt by putting the medals around their neck after a majestic parade to mark the force’s anniversary in Greater Noida near here, they said.
