Captain Pawan Kumar was a brave Indian army officer who served in the 10 Para Special Forces unit. He was born on 15 January 1993 in Jind, Haryana, and grew up in a family of armed forces personnel. His father, Rajbir Singh, was a retired JCO in the Indian army, and his brother, Naveen Kumar, is also serving in the army.
From a young age, Captain Pawan Kumar was inspired by his father’s and brother’s service in the army and dreamed of serving his country too. After completing his schooling, he joined the National Defence Academy (NDA) in Khadakwasla, Pune, in 2012. After completing his training, he was commissioned into the Indian army in December 2014.
Captain Pawan Kumar was soon posted to the 10 Para Special Forces unit, also known as the “Desert Scorpions.” The unit is considered one of the most elite units in the Indian army, and only the best soldiers are selected for it. Captain Pawan Kumar quickly proved himself to be a skilled and dedicated soldier and was soon promoted to the rank of captain.
In 2016, Captain Pawan Kumar was deployed to Jammu and Kashmir, where he was tasked with carrying out counter-insurgency operations. He was part of a team that was sent to neutralize a group of terrorists who had taken refuge in a house in the Parray Mohalla area of Pulwama district. The operation was launched on 21 February 2016, and Captain Pawan Kumar was leading the team.
As the team entered the house, they came under heavy fire from the terrorists. Captain Pawan Kumar was hit in the chest by a bullet, but he continued to lead the operation despite his injuries. He single-handedly eliminated two terrorists and injured a third before succumbing to his injuries.
Captain Pawan Kumar’s bravery and sacrifice were widely recognized, and he was posthumously awarded the Ashok Chakra, India’s highest peacetime gallantry award, on 15 August 2016. His name will always be remembered as a symbol of bravery and dedication to duty.
7 Inspiring Facts About Captain Pawan Kumar
- Captain Pawan Kumar, 22, who martyred fighting terrorists in Pampore in Kashmir valley is an elite Para commando. He is a Jat from the Jind district in Haryana and a degree holder from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in Delhi.
- According to Army officials, he had taken part in two successful operations earlier in which three terrorists were killed — including the operation on February 15 in Pulwama in which one terrorist and two civilians were killed.
- Capt. Kumar was born on January 15, 1993, observed as the Army Day, graduated from the 123 course of the National Defence Academy and was commissioned into the Army on December 14, 2013. He was with the 10 Para Special Forces and in service for less than three years.
- “Pawan Kumar was a young and a dynamic officer, He was a true commander”, Lt. Gen. S.K. Dua, General Officer Commanding of Udhampur based 15 Corps said after paying respects to his mortal remains.
- His last Facebook post said it all, “Kisi ko reservation chahiye toh kisiko azadi bhai, humein kuch nahi chahiye bhai bas apni razai (Some want reservations, some even freedom, but I want nothing, just my blanket).”
- Capt Pawan Kumar led his men from the front and drew a fatal volley of fire, which the daring commando and his team quickly retaliated. He later succumbed to his grievous injuries but not before fixing the location of these terrorists thereby facilitating the progress of further operations.
He had voluntarily taken upon himself to lead his men into this most difficult phase of the operation. His commitment to his men, duty and the uniform he so proudly donned, can be gauged from the fact that despite having been wounded in an earlier encounter with terrorists only last month, he had refused to proceed on sick leave to be with his team for this operation. They have done the nation proud and the nation salutes them.
