With the International Women's Day around the corner on March 8, Indian Air Force on Tuesday, March 7, selected Group Captain Shaliza Dhami to take over command of a frontline combat unit in the Western sector.
Group Captain Dhami was commissioneda as helicopter pilot in 2003. She has over 2800 hrs of flying experience, the Officer is commended by AOC-in-C on two occasions. She is the first woman to command any combat unit of IAF.
Indian Army deploys first woman officer at Siachen
Only recently, Captain Shiva Chouhan of Indian Army's Fire and Fury Corps became the first female officer to be operationally deployed in Siachen.
Captain Chouhan was posted at the Kumar Post, located at an altitude of around 15,600 feet in Siachen in January for a three-month stint.
Who is Shaliza Dhami?
In 2019, Shaliza Dhami had scripted history by becoming the first female officer to be appointed as flight commander of a flying unit.
Group Captain Dhami took over as Flight Commander of a Chetak helicopter unit at Hindon airbase. She is a permanent commission officer of the flying branch in the Air Force and has been flying choppers. Her elevation in the flying branch back then was her first among many steps getting closer towards women officers commanding units and formations in the service.
Group Captain has serving in the IAF for 20 years now. She became the first woman flying instructor of the Air Force and is also the first woman officer to get permanent commission of the flying branch. She took charge of a Chetak helicopter unit at the Hindon Airbase in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. Chetak is a single engine turbo shaft, light utility helicopter with capacity of 6 passengers and has maximum speed of 220 km/hour.
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