New Delhi. 14 August 2024. Sergeant Ashwani Kumar, Flight Gunner is on the posted strength of a helicopter unit. On 15 Aug 23, he was detailed for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations near Fatehpur in Himachal Pradesh. As briefed by the Captain, he quickly got the aircraft prepared in the necessary configuration facilitating a quick launch. At the HADR location, he assisted the Captain in assessing the type of recovery to be carried out.
When landing was not feasible, he disembarked from the helicopter at low hover and assisted disabled civilians to get on board. On the second day, while carrying out a mission ex-Fatehpur, he came across survivors in an area isolated by a gushing river. He tied himself at the hard point of the helicopter and went down to last step of the ladder pulling the survivors into the helicopter. Such an act required exceptional courage as he was not trained for such a situation.
Sgt Ashwani Kumar rendered accurate guidance to the Captain during hover especially over roof tops and restricted areas, wherein the margin for error was almost non-existent. His prompt actions enabled rapid operations ensuring recovery of multiple people over a short duration. His relentless courageous efforts, valuable inputs and effective coordination with the state authorities and other rescue teams resulted in saving 510 lives including 42 by winch operations. His superlative courage and presence of mind in an adverse situation demanding critical and timely actions, were major contributing factors.
For the act of exceptional courage, Sergeant Ashwani Kumar is awarded ‘Vayu Sena Medal (Gallantry)’.
