In remote villages of Arunachal Pradesh, expectant eyes search the sky everyday for the helicopter that brings them their food. The only vital link to their basic needs is through Eastern Air Command.

When our North-Western Frontiers were violated, a formidable fleet of fighter aircraft, large quantities of ammunition and large number of dedicated soldiers were airlifted to the scene of aggression in a record time. This vital support was given by the Eastern Air Command.

A special child who needs all the love, care and understanding to come to terms with the basic activities of life gets a foothold at Udayan, a rehabilitation home. This is provided by the welfare wing of Eastern Air Command.

The Eastern Air Command is one of the five operational commands of the IAF. Formed first on May 27, 1958 at Ranikutir in Calcutta, the command HQs later moved to its present location in Shillong, the picturesque capital of Meghalaya.

The area of responsibility of the command covers over 3 lakh kms. It covers 11 states, and is bound by the international boundaries of Nepal, Bhutan, China, Myanmar and Bangladesh with 6300 kms of common border.

Incidentally, the formation of the Command coincided with the IAF switching over from piston engines to the powerful jets. With the motto Samareshu Parakramaha meaning bravery and valour in the face of the enemy, the command has since grown in size and capacity. Well equipped, always on the alert and with smart and efficient personnel groomed through rigorous professional training, the Eastern Air Command has a specific mandate both during peace and war.

In war, the command is tasked for counter air operations and provides offensive air support to Army and Para-Military Forces. In peace, the command swings into action whenever there is a natural calamity. The recent examples being the relief operations in the aftermath of the supercyclone in Orissa and during floods in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. The command meets more than the challenging and demanding situations.

The command has three broad spheres of activity - operations, maintenance and administration. The fighter squadrons in the Command are equipped with MiG variants, which continuously train pilots for operational flying.

At Tezpur, located on the northern bank of the Bramaputra in Upper Assam, newly commissioned ab-initio fighter pilots undergo fighter pilot training and on successful completion get inducted into various fighter squadrons in IAF. It is time tested MiG-21 which constitutes the bulk of the Command's fighter fleet besides the powerful MiG-27 equipped with sophisticated sensors and having excellent manoeuvrability.

The transport aircraft and helicopters in the North-East have a very important role. The topography in the hill regions restrict the construction of a standard runway and instead, the pilots operate from the tricky advance landing grounds (ALG's) with only one third of the length of a regular runway, having unique and uni-directional approach and take off requirements. This coupled with the vagaries of weather expects superior skills from the pilots and their navigators. Both man and machine are stretched to the limits of their capabilities.

Tribal settlements in places like Menchuha, Vijaynagar and Tuting in remote and inaccessible areas of Arunachal Pradesh totally depend on the aerial supply by Air Force. They also depend on these aircraft to airlift their sick and ailing.

Helicopters routinely take off from their bases in Eastern Air Command and fly to all the corners of North-East. For the pilots who negotiate this remote and inaccessible terrain, the experience gained over the last five decades has been well assimilated. It may be mentioned, that the district headquarters at Anini, a conglomeration of about ten tribal settlements with a population of a couple of thousand in Arunachal Pradesh is the only one of its kind in the world which is totally air-maintained. The contribution of Eastern Air Command in bringing relief and in aiding civilian population in times of calamity and strife, is an unsung saga of commitment, daring and dedication.

While air operations form the core of flying activities, these operations are ably supported by the engineering staff through the maintenance branch. The maintenance of the aircraft fleet of the command are done on a regular cycle. Maintenance includes engineering, systems and logistics management.

The Air Force Wives Welfare Association (AFWWA) in Eastern Air Command has grown from strength to strength. The AFWWA organises several kinds of vocational training, literacy programmes, counselling and the running of creches and schools. The villages adopted by every station in their vicinity get patronage and periodic medical attention through the AFWWA. The bases are located in far-flung areas and the command has done a commendable job in ensuring that each base is self-sufficient in every respect. Each base is like a township with schools, sports complexes, shopping arcades and comprehensive medicare.

The rehabilitation home Udayan for the special children at Barrackpore, near Calcutta epitomises the spirit behind the AFWWA in Eastern Air Command.

While traditions and discipline are a way of life with man in uniform, the Eastern Air Command takes great pride in nurturing them and these are handed down through generations. The proud airmen of the command exemplify the amazing saga of valour, self sacrifice with utter disregard for own safety in the face of overwhelming odds. The history of the Eastern Air Command resonates with tales of men rising to meet challenges in the face of extreme adversity.

input: Sqn Ldr Tarun Kumar Singha