Lieutenant General Manoj Pande appointed as the new Chief of Army Staff

By Yashasvi Anika Tandon

Lt. General Manoj Pande succeeded the current chief of Army staff (COAS) to become the 29^th COAS.

Lt. General Manoj Mukund Naravane retired after 42 years of service to the Indian Army.

It is the first time that an officer from the Corps of Engineers has become the COAS.

Before becoming Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Pande was the Vice Chief of Army Staff. Now the new Vice Chief of Army Staff is Lt. Gen. Baggavalli Somashekar Raju.

Lt. Gen. Manoj Pande has had the following command appointments till date:

1. Command of Engineer Brigade at Western Theatre
2. Infantry Brigade appointment
3. Line-of-control, Jammu and Kashmir
4. In Western Ladakh’s high altitude area as a Mountain Division Head
5. Command of Corps
6. Andaman and Nicobar Command’s chief
7. General Officer Commanding-in-Chief in Kolkata East Command
8. Additional Director General in Military Operations Directorate
9. Line of Actual Control with China in the North Eastern region
10. Director General of Discipline, Ceremonial and Welfare
11. At the United Nations Mission in Eritrea and Ethiopia as the Chief Engineer
12. Vice Chief of Army Staff
13. Chief of Army Staff

Lieutenant General Manoj Pande has got the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, and the Vishisht Seva Medal for service in the Indian Army.