Lieutenant Navdeep Singh was the third generation from his family to put on the olive greens. His father, Subedar Joginder Singh served in the Indian Army’s Corps of Engineers and retired as an honorary Captain; his grandfather was also a JCO in the army. He completed his graduation in 2006 from IHM Gurdaspur continued his education to get a Postgraduate degree in management from the Army Institute of Management, Kolkata, three years later. His father was overjoyed when his son decided to join the army. He joined the Officers Training Academy in Chennai and was commissioned into the ArmyOrdancence Corps in 2010.
Lt Navdeep got his first posting to 15 Maratha Light Infantry, which was deployed in Gurez in Jammu & Kashmir and was made in charge of a Ghatak platoon considering his physical fitness and his level of motivation. He quickly started his routine of area familiarization and was obsessed with knowing every inch of the place.
On 19 Aug 2011, Lt Navdeep Singh’s unit received information that a group of 17 hardcore terrorists had infiltrated into the Indian territory in the Gurez sector. At 11;30 pm, the Ghatak platoon led by Lt Navdeep was tasked to stop and eliminate the dreaded terrorists. Lt Navdeep gauged the possible infiltration route and deployed his troops tactically to take on the terrorists. He ordered his team to hold fire until they could see their faces as it is very difficult to get a sure kill even at a distance of 100m at night. The terrorists were just five meters away when Lt Navdeep opened fire at them. After killing three terrorists, Lt Navdeep had taken cover in a sangar. As the firing continued, a terrorist lobbed a grenade that smashed into the sanger Lt Navdeep and his team were using for cover and exploded. Lt Navdeep’s buddy soldier got injured due to the splinters. He ordered his men to stay down as he pulled his buddy soldier closer to the sangar. Lt Navdeep raised his head just a few inches to get a better look at the last terrorist, at that exact moment, a bullet came flying in, hitting Lt Navdeep in the head. Just as he was hit, Lt Navdeep pulled the trigger of his Ak-47 killing the last terrorist.
Lt Navdeep had fallen after killing four terrorists and his decision to wait till the terrorist was just 5m away from the squad ensured that the whole terrorist group was eliminated. Lt Navdeep Singh was given the nation’s highest peacetime gallantry award, ” Ashok Chakra” for his exceptional courage, indomitable spirit and supreme sacrifice. On Republic day 2012, his father received his posthumous Ashok Chakra. India is proud of Lieutenant Navdeep Singh.
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