April, 2024, Mumbai: In a pioneering endeavor, a group of twelve women officers representing the Tri-Services of the Indian Armed Forces—comprising the Army, Navy, and Air Force— successfully completed a chartered sailing expedition, traversed over Mumbai-Lakshadweep-Mumbai route.
The 27-day training expedition, a testament of their courage and skill, was ceremoniously flagged in by Lt. Gen. AK Ramesh, Commandant of the College of Military Engineering (CME), at Mumbai on Wednesday, 17th April 2024.
Earlier, the ‘Training Expedition VIII,’ was flagged off on 23 March 2024 from Marve, Mumbai, and embarked to the Naval Detachment, Androth, Lakshadweep on an arduous journey that ran for 2000 nautical miles.
The expedition was part of the teams’ preparatory phase ahead of the bigger challenge – ‘Tri-Services All Women Around the World Blue Water Sailing Expedition,’ slated for September 2024. Organized under the auspices of the Army Adventure Wing and Army Aqua Nodal Centre of the CME, this one-of-a kind expedition was not only aimed at showcasing the exceptional capabilities of women in the armed forces, but also at fostering a profound sense of unity and camaraderie among them.
Lt. Col. MK Singh, Instructor, who powered the team training for the past 16 months, explained “a good instructor doesn’t just teach lessons; they teach life skills that last a lifetime. I am confident that the team will come out in flying colours when they embark on the mega run later in the year. With more training in the yacht Triveni – which will be used for the final expedition, the team will be able to upscale their skills further.”
In exemplifying the spirit of Nari Shakti (woman empowerment), the team comprises seven Indian Army officers, one Indian Navy officer, and four Indian Air Force officers went through a rigorous grind by training aboard the Indian Army sailing vessel Manyu VIR, an XS27 Sailing Yacht.
The expedition was divided into four legs: Marve (Mumbai) – INS Kadamba (Karwar); INS Kadamba – INS Dweeprakshak (Kavaratti); INS Dweeprakshak – INS Kadamba; INS Kadamba – Marve (Mumbai).
The team for the Tri-Services All Women Blue Water Sailing Expedition includes:
Indian Army: Lt. Col. Anuja, Maj. Karamjeet, Capt. Omita, Capt. Dauli, Maj. Bharatha, Maj. Tanya, Capt. Prajakta
Indian Navy: Lt. Cdr. Priyanka
Indian Air Force: Sqn. Ldr. Vibha, Sqn. Ldr. Shradhha, Sqn. Ldr. Aruvi, Sqn. Ldr. Vaishali
