Sunday, August 31, 2014

College of Military Engineering.

College of Military Engineering, Pune.
The college of Military Engineering is the prime institution of the Corps Of Engineers of the Indian Army.All ranks of the Engineers will come to this institution for some training or other and there will be 2-3000 all ranks at a time in CME.
The college consists of civil,Mechanical and combat wings and administrative wings.Diploma wings imparts training to NCOs selected for Military engineering services.
 The posting to the college is based on performances in different Training and recomendation as instructors.Ganesan has done course in combat wing,stood first in B.Tech course,and recommended as instructor in civil wing.so he was posted as instructor in diploma wing.While participating in cross country competition fordiploma wing Commandant saw his sportsmanship qualities and ordered him to report to combat wing  to take charge as Incharge of Young officers training.since he was playing all games he was also detailed as sports secretary of the college.Needless to say that Ganesan had enjoyed life at CME.
More........ 

Thursday, August 28, 2014

MEG&Centre Bangalore-3

MEG&Centre Bangalore-3 Contd.
The service at the training centre should be a total dedication as you would be resposible for imbibing patriotic sprit to young boys of different culture of this great country.Any relaxation in this aspect will lead to training criminals and anti National elements and handing over the safety,Honour and Integrity  of this country to them.One need not write further as what would hapen in the future.
Ganesan ,having mother tongue as Tamil was at great advantage to understand the mind of the recruits and his rural back ground also was an added advantage.He knows that if a recruit is reporting sick very often,the problem would be his mind and not his body.So he will isolate such recruits and talk to each in confidence as to what is the problem.Most of the time it may be that they are not interested in Army service or some one is harassing him.Many times Ganesan had found that the training staff or the seniors are the culprits.Ganesan was ruthless in implimenting DICIPLINE and set right the system.
The Army Act and Army rules along with Defence Services Regulations will certainly help any one who is interested to maintain dicipline.The officer should be intelegent enough to understand and bold enough to impliment.Ganesan had both and hence there was marked difference in his handling of training.As he was physically fit enough to be the best recruit his team always won laurels in all fields.
  The recruits who had under gone training  under his leadership rose in ranks and files and many of them were commissioned later.
With great satifaction Ganesan had spent three years at MEG&Centre and got posted to College of Military Engineering,Pune in Jan1978.During his stay at Bangalore They were blessed with a  son. Arindhan was born on 13 Juen 1975.

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Monday, August 11, 2014

MEG &Centre Bangalore-2

MEG &Centre,Bangalore.
  The recruits Trg is divided intothree phases.Basic,Field Engineering and work shop.The Basic and Field engineering are of three months each and workshop phase depends upon the trade of the recruit. Attestation is done within 52 weeks of trg and recruit becomes young soldier after attestation.The commanding officer can discharge a recruit as unsuitable for the Army within 3 months.The disciplinery powers  given to officers covers almost all aspect of human conduct, which will make a soldier extremely difficult to escape under a capable officer.
  Ganesan had spent almost one year as single as his wife was expecting their first baby and this gave plenty of time to Ganesan to understand all aspects of soldier training.Some of the acts and its implications are taken casually when the officers do not pay proper attentions.For example,Police verification of character and family back ground has to be done as soon as possible before the recruits are given wider and deeper training.A casual approach in this will lead to higher training being given to criminals if the police verification is negative as unsuitable for Army.Many times recruits are found unsuitable for Army and Ganesan used to wonder what type of recruitment  had been done.Once Ganesan found a recruit very weak inspite of extended training and decided to discharge him as unsuitable.At that time the recruit cried that he has paid Rs. 30,000 for geting this enrolement and he had been given clerk trade.Ganesan did not know what ot do.Physically he was very waek and almost failing in all tests.He could be given Cook,Safaiwala,Barber
and retained,but he will never do his trade work as he was from higher cast.So Ganesan was forced to discharge him.Had Ganeasan not observed him he could have easyly finished his training with the help of corrupt officials.
  More.......

Friday, August 8, 2014

MEG &Centre,Bangalore

The cradle of young soldiers.
   Soldiering in India is on voluntary basis.How can patriotism be developed on voluntary basis.What is the status of those who do not volunter.What is the Govt's responsibility towards those who volunter to protect the safety,honour and integrity of the country and those who sell the country directly and indirectly.We celeberate National days and Honour National heroes.Is there any one in this country who is willing to serve for 3 years in high altitude and then fight election to Assembly or Parliament.Well!Ganesan was full of such un answered questions in his mind when he landed at MEG&Centre.
   Soldiering in India is considered as an employment by majority of officers and other ranks.Since India is rated as top nation in corruption intrude of such virus in Defence services also can not be ruled out.Under these circumstances Ganesan started functioning as Training officer for training thousands of young boys coming from all parts of this country.He was assisted byJCOs and NCOs.One should be clear that those selected to train or be instructors at training centres should be far superior than those whom they are going to train.But in practice it may not be possible.so one has to accept such drawbacks.Ganesan started tightening his job in all direction.Firstly he himself improved his physical and professional fitness and made sure that  all those under him come up to acceptable level.
    Let us see....... 

The commanding Officer.

The commanding Officer.
  Irrespective of the level one reaches in the chain of promation, commanding a Battalion or its equivalent (Lt Col/Col)is the best appointment in the services.Here the commanding officer is the Godfather of all ranks of the Regiment.He guards the tradition set by his predicessors, takes care of the welfare and  trains his command for war and peace time employment.Commanding officer is not an individual but an institution.He trains all ranks to the best of his abilities.His appointment  should be an oppurtunity given to him to show the faith and integrity imposed by the system and improve on it depending upon the scientific and technological advancement exists at that time.
   A team of officers are already there when he takes over.He may add or remove according to his wish.Some of the officers may be  already known to him and some may be unknown.It should be the moral resposibility of the CO to look at everyone dispationately and take the team together as they perform.Many of  the COs take this oppurtunity for elevating themself by using the Regimental resources,both men and materials.Some of the junior officers who question any misuse will obviously be in his bad book and may be victiimised in the ACR.A capable officer whether the CO or a junior  will in any case shine wherever posted.
An officer who was demoted for some reasons later was awarded "scientific officer of the year".
   This shows that the fire in the belly of the individual should always be burning for performance.Even though Ganesan had some unpleasent experience in Leh,the CO was a gentleman and hence things moved smoothly.
Ganesan reported to MEG&Centre,Bangalore and was appointed Training officer of a Training Battalion.Thousands of young boys who knowingly or unknowingly opted to be soldiers are motivated,inspired and trained there.Ganesan dived like fish to deep water and enjoyed his tennure there.Let us see.
Contd....

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

The confidential Reports

The Confidential Reports.
The Army assess its officers and other ranks through confidential reports.These reports are initiated by one and reported by seniors in the channel of command.The initiating officer should be in such position to observe the officer's activities on daily basis at least for three months.These confidential reports are the personal assessment of the initiating officer.An incapable officer by virtue of his closeness to initiating officer(IO) may get an outstanding report.But the reporting officer (RO)if he is a gentleman and honest in his service will call the IO and warn him not to over assess officers.On the other hand if he is also soft natured and likes out of rules pleasings he will simply counter sign the IO report.
  Ganesan was a Major commanding a Fd unit.Under him there were about 50 NCOs(non commissioned officers).Like officers NCO,and JCOs are also eligible for ACRs(annual confidential reports).An ACR of one NCO returned from records for some technical reason.This ACR was initiated by his predisessor and the NCO was given 2 out of 4.Ganesan had spent anbout 3 months and knows the NCO as a physically tough and well co operative with other soldiers and Radio operator by trade.Why he  has been graded as average and given 2/4?could there be personal reason?He called the NCO and interviewed him.The NCO was unknown to the officer as he was with another sub unit.So just for completing the formalities he had copleted the ACR and sent.Fortunetly ther was a technical mistake and hence the ACR was to be re written.
    Ganesan wrote a genuine and un biased report and sent to records.After a few days higher promotion cadre started for NCOs at MEG&Centre Bangalore.Since these are on seniority basis those eligible NCOs were already at centre.For some reasons the vacancies were incresed suddenly and eligible NCOs were called by telegramme.In this Ganesan's NCO was also called.But other officers objected to this as this NCO was very junior and in his place other senior NCO should be sent.The CO ruled out this and sent Ganesan'sNCO.This NCO became an asset to the Regiment and went to UN Mission and later became Sub Maj of the Regiment
    Officers confidential reports are also like that only. Ganesan was an outstanding sports man,physicaly very tough,and was doing very well in all trainings.But he was not soft natured and do not go out of the way to please seniors.This had been his dis advantage.But he was aware of that and fully prepared to face the consquences of his act.
Contd...