Lt Gen Khanduri takes over as GOC-in-C, Western Command

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, November 1

Lieutenant General Nav K Khanduri, took over as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Command at Chandigarh on Monday. He is the first Air Defence Officer to be appointed as an Army Commander.

On assuming his new appointment, Gen Khanduri laid a wreath at the Veer Smriti war memorial to pay homage to the martyrs. A guard of honour was also presented to him at the Western Command Headquarters.

An alumnus of Rashtriya Indian Military College, Dehradun and the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, he passed out with the 73rd Regular Course from the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun and was commissioned into 27 Air Defence Regiment (Amritsar Airfield) in December 1983. 

In a career spanning over 38 years, Gen Khanduri has served across a wide spectrum of operational areas and has tenanted a host of important Command, Staff and Instructional appointments. 

He commanded an air defence brigade in Operation Rakshak and a mountain brigade in Operation Falcon, an infantry division on the western front and a corps in the eastern theatre.

He has held instructional assignments at the College of Defence Management, Secunderabad and various staff appointments in field, high altitude and Integrated Headquarters of Ministry of Defence (Army).

He was the Director General Operational Logistics and Strategic Movement at Army HQs prior to being appointed as the Western Army Commander.

He has also served on various foreign assignments, including the Indian Military Training Team in Bhutan, United Nations Military Observer at United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia and Deputy Chief Integrated Service Support at United Nations Mission in Ivory Coast.