For The First Time, A Lady Officer Will Lead An Army Contingent At The 71st Army Day Parade

According to a report by The Pioneer, for the first time in the history of the Indian Army, a woman officer will be leading an army contingent in the 71st Army Day parade to be held on 15 January, 2019.

Lieutenant Bhavana Kasturi will be leading the Army Services Corps Contingent which handles the logistic support function of the Army. It comprises of 144 jawans and will participate in the parade after a long gap of 23 years.

Talking to The Pioneer, Lt Kasturi said:

“This is the first time ever a lady officer is leading a contingent. Earlier, never a lady officer led a jawans contingent.”

She also lauded the Army for this opportunity and said, this shows the kind of acceptance, the change and the evolution which is happening in the entire organization.

Apart from Lt. Kasturi, Captain Shikha has also made her mark in the Army Day parade. She will be leading a team comprising 33 men riding nine bikes in a pyramid formation.

Both these groups will also participate in the Republic Day parade on 26 January, besides the Army Day parade.