Western Command celebrates 61st anniversery

Chandigarh, Sep 15 (UNI) Western Command, the largest operational Command of the Indian Army, today celebrated its 61st raising day at Chandimandir with a memorial cum wreath laying ceremony and variety of cultural programmes.

Lt Gen T K Sapru, GOC-in-C, Western Command laid wreath to pay tributes to the martyrs at "Veer Smriti" the command War Memorial.

Senior Officers, Officers, JCOs and jawans were present on this occasion.

Raised in 1947 with its Headquarters at Delhi, it was then called Delhi and East Punjab Command and controlled all formations with an operational role in the territorial areas of the present Western, South Western and Northern Armies. It was redesignated as Western Command in January 1948. In 1954, the HQ of the Command moved to Shimla. After the Indo-Pak Conflict of 1971, Northern Command, with its Headquarters at Udhampur, was carved out of it to assume operational responsibility of Jammu and Kashmir.

Headquarters Western Command eventually moved to its present location at Chandimandir in 1985. In 2005, consequent to the raising of South Western Command, the areas of responsibility of the Command were readjusted. Today Western Command guards the heartland of the country including parts of Jammu and Kashmir.

UNI PS DB 1502