Wife Of Late Squadron Leader To Join IAF

Created: Jul 16, 2019, 10:38 IST | Updated: Jul 16, 2019, 11:05 IST

Hyderabad: Garima Abrol, the wife of late Squadron leader Samir Abrol, killed in Mirage 2000 fighter jet crash in Bengaluru this year, has decided to carry on the legacy of her husband as she cleared Services Selection Board exam and will join the prestigious Indian Air Force.

She will join the Air Force Academy in Dundigal, Telangana and join the Indian Air Force by January 2020, retired Air Marshal Anil Chopra announced on Twitter.

"Not all woman are made equal some are Armed forces Wives," his tweet also read.

Mrs Garima Abrol, wife of Sqn ldr Samir Abrol who martyred in Mirage2000 fighter plane crash while test flying it at HAL Airport. To join Air Force Academy. Woman of exceptional substance and will join @IAF_MCC in Jan 2020.
Not all woman are made equal some are Armed forces Wives pic.twitter.com/gY7G8pV7f3

— Aviator Anil Chopra (@Chopsyturvey) July 14, 2019

Squadron leader Samir Abrol (33) and 31-year-old Siddhartha Negi were martyred on February 1 this year while test flying a Mirage 2000 fighter plane at the HAL airport in Bengaluru. Reportedly, the two young IAF pilots could have been saved had they been able to eject as the jet careened down the runway, and exploded that morning after breaking through a wall.

Sushant Abrol, his brother has requested Centre to hold an inquiry into the matter.

Meanwhile, Garima Abrol said that her husband could have ejected but take would have claimed many a lives and requested the government to hold the culprits accountable.

Gauri Prasad Mahadik, married to late Army Major Prasad Ganesh Mahadik who died in a fire accident near the India-China border in 2017, decided to join the Indian Army as a tribute to her late husband.

View this post on Instagram

“I met Prasad on a matrimonial site. The first time we spoke was on 22nd February 2014. He told me he was a Captain in the Indian army. It came as a shock, but he was sincere & down to earth–I loved that. After we met a few times, he proposed at Marine Drive. I said, ‘of course, Captain’. Still, he told me to think about it–being married to an army man wasn’t easy. Even his dad said, ‘Anything can happen, at any time’. But I said that anything can happen to a civilian & it’d be my privilege to be married to a man who was protecting civilians. Not that it mattered, but our engagement moved thrice because of his duty–we ultimately got married in 2015. We were different; I was talkative & he, reserved. Still, we fit, even though he was away for long periods of time. It was difficult–we didn’t talk for days. But when he called, he always said ‘Everything’s fine’...even if it wasn’t. Once he hadn’t called for a week. I was terrified, but on the 7th day he got in touch–I craved his voice. When he was home, I wanted to capture everything. So I have more than 36,000 photos of him! I even recorded our calls & on the days when I worried about him, or wanted to hear him say ‘I love you’, I’d listen to those recordings. In 2017 I got the call that changed my life–he was martyred. We’d just spoken the previous evening & even argued. I couldn’t believe it. For the next 3 days I kept thinking he’d come back. But I made my peace knowing that he died doing what he loved–serving our country. He never complained. Even though he was sometimes in -15 degrees–he was happy. That’s what an army wife has to accept–her husband’s first love is the country. That gave me the strength to overcome. Over time, I decided I couldn’t keep crying. That would insult his memory. So, I decided to join the army & live his dream. His purpose became mine & I prepared for the SSB exam. I failed the first time, but 5 years since the day we began talking, I passed–I’ll be inducted into the Indian Army in 2020. For the first time since he passed, I’m not afraid. In fact, I feel strong and invincible, just like he was & just like that, my life is for our country & I’ll defend it until the day I die."

A post shared by Humans of Bombay (@officialhumansofbombay) on Feb 27, 2019 at 4:31am PST

Lieutenant Neeta Deswal joined the Ordinance Corps of the Indian Army in 2018 after her husband Major Amit Deswal lost his life in a counter-insurgency operation in 2016. She called ita tribute to the martyr.

In another case, mother of two Swati Mahadik, was commissioned as a lieutenant in the armed forces on September 2017 and chaired the Army Ordinance Corps in Pune. Her husband Army Colonel Santosh Mahadik was martyred while fighting militants in Jammu and Kashmir in 2015.

“This is my husband’s dream. I had other dreams – like being with my children – but I took up his dream," she was quoted saying.

Lt Nidhi, wife of late sepoy Mukesh Dubey and Lt Swati, wife of late Col Santosh Mahadik at OTA. nation will always remain indebted to you. pic.twitter.com/s4Pxuh5dtj

— Snehesh Alex Philip (@sneheshphilip) September 9, 2017