Lt Tanishka, A Third Gen Army Officer

After both grandfathers, father and uncle, Lieutenant Tanishka Damodaran is the first girl from the family to join the Indian Army.
She will join her first posting in Kashmir soon and hopes to follows her family tradition of joining the Paras.

Anupama Damodaran could not stop the tears. Through watery eyes, she could see her younger daughter wearing a crisp army uniform about to enter the parade ground at the Officers Training Academy in Chennai.

The Damodarans come from a family tradition of serving in the armed forces. Her grandfather and father served in the army, the latter fought in the 1965 and 1971 wars and was awarded the Sena Medal.

Her father-in-law and brother in-law served in the elite Special Forces.

Her husband is a serving 4 Para officer. The two Damodaran brothers together served in Siachen, Jammu and Kashmir and the North East as team commanders.

Lieutenant Tanishka Damodaran is now continuing that military tradition, the first girl from the family that has only sent boys to the army so far.

With a grandfather, father and husband in the army, Mrs Damodaran has lived her life in the fauji environs and knows it closely, but interestingly, she had never witnessed a passing out parade before.

"My daughter's PoP is the first I have seen. It was a dream come true. My 84-year-old mother sitting beside me told me that my father too had passed out from the same parade ground," says Mrs Damodaran, a teacher in Bengaluru.

Lieutenant Tanishka led the parade and as parade commander had to give 54 commands in a loud booming voice. The entire parade had to march her commands.

And what a success she made of it!

"It is not easy to get that volume and pitch which needs a lot of practice. Your throat goes for a six!" says Colonel Sanjay Damodaran (retd), Lieutenant Tanishka's uncle whom she calls 'chachu'.

"I would have gotten more than 100 calls from my course mates, friends and jawans who served under my father telling me that the standard of her drill was too good," the proud uncle adds

"Her word of command, her posture, her sword angle -- it was just unbelievably good."

Lieutenant Tanishka won the silver medal for securing second position in the course. She received the gold medal in marching and shooting and the Corps of Signal medal.

At the most emotional moment of the ceremony when parents do the 'pipping' -- put the gleaming insignia on the shoulder indicating entry as commissioned officers -- Lieutenant Tanshika took her family's breath away.

She marched up and gave her first salute as an Indian Army officer to her father.

"It was very emotional for all of us," says Mrs Damodaran.

After excelling as a cadet in the National Cadet Corps which got her a direct entry into the Service Selection Board interview, Lieutenant Tanishka made the cut in her first attempt.

"She was an outstanding student and played under-19 Cricket for Karnataka," says her mother. "She was very serious about getting into the army and doing well in her training at OTA."

Lieutenant Tanishka Damodaran has been commissioned into Army Service Corps unit in Srinagar.

In the 20 days leave before joining, she spent a few days at home before going for an orientation programme at the ASC centre.

"Her dream is to join the Para ASC and she will work hard towards it. It needs extreme physical fitness and tough training. She's an adventurous girl who wants to do para jump, sailing etc," says Mrs Damodaran whose elder daughter works in Canada.

Lieutenant Tanishka's initial months in the unit will be spent in learning the ropes of her appointment and get groomed into the battalion. In a year, she will proceed for the young officer's course.

"She is really happy and enjoying the moment," says Mrs Damodaran. "We advise her to walk on the right path and make the best out of every moment because time never comes back."