Don’t get alarmed if you venture near Army headquarters tomorrow and happen to see all men in their combat fatigues. Because new Army chief General J J Singh has ordered all officers and men to wear exactly that when they come to work every Friday. Minus weapons, every man will be in combat gear, complete with web belts, field shoes, insignias. Even as Western Army Commander, Gen Singh ensured men of his formations showed up in combat gear and not olive greens. The last time battle fatigues were seen in Army Headquarters was during the tense Op Parakram days after the attack on Parliament. With India nearly going to war on two occasions during the year-long stand-off with Pakistan, the then Army Chief Gen S Padamanabhan had ordered officers in South Block to turn out in combat wear. But this time, it seems to be just a spirit-building exercise. The Army chief’s rationale is that officers should be ‘‘psychologically battle-ready’’ even while working at their desks. Considering that a third of the Army is engaging militants and insurgents in Jammu and Kashmir and the North-East, he wants that spirit of solidarity to be all-pervasive. The present norm of wearing civilian clothes—blazers and ties—on Wednesdays will not change though. ‘‘It is a sign of solidarity with so many of our men engaged everyday in active operations around the country. They live a far more dangerous life. It is to stir up a spirit of brotherhood,’’ an Army spokesperson said on the combat wear order. But the new chief is not stopping there. He wants the Army’s marksmanship to go up by many counts. He plans to set up Army shooting ranges across the country—he inaugurated a 10 metre air rifle range at the Army Golf Club here last month—not just for the men but also their children. His reasoning is that shooting comes naturally to the Army since more than a million people in the force are trained to use guns. It’s a professional skill and the Army chief believes that resources available with the force need to be utilised maximum. The indoor shooting range, a 10 m air rifle or air pistol range, opened at the Army Golf Course in Delhi last month is the first shooting facility in the area which includes the Defence Services Officers’ Institute (DSOI) and the 61 Cavalry grounds. The Army says the shooting range is well within laid-down norms since clearances are necessary only when live ammunition is used at ranges.
