Allegiance India Role Air Force Officer Name Kulwant Gill | Rank Air Marshal Service/branch Indian Air Force | |
Commands held AOC-in-C Central Air Command
Commandant National Defence Academy Awards Ati Vishisht Seva Medal
Yudh Seva Medal
Vayu Sena Medal (Gallantry) | ||
Years of service Dec 1977 to present | ||
Air Marshal Kulwant Singh Gill was former Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C) of Central Air Command of Indian Air Force. Commissioned into the Flying Branch of the Indian Air Force in Dec 1977. In a career spanning three decades and six years, he has held instructional, directional and command appointments, including Commandant of the National Defence Academy.
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Career
He was commissioned in the flying branch of the Indian Air Force (IAF) in 1977 and has more than 7000 hours of accident-free and incident-free flying experience to his credit. In his career spanning 35 years, Gill has had the distinction of commanding various front-line bases of the IAF and also has the distinction of being the contingent commander for the first United Nations mission to Congo.While commanding the IAF station at Leh, he was instrumental in recommissioning of two airfields. During his command, Air Force Station Leh was declared the 'Pride of Western Air Command'. Gill is a highly decorated officer, having received the Presidential award of Vayu Sena Medal (Gallantry) in 1990, Yudh Seva Medal in 2005, Ati Vishisht Seve Medal in 2010 and Param Vishisht Seva Medal in 2016. He has also been commended by the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief twice and also by the chiefs of the air and army staff.
Before assuming the office of AOC-in-C of Central Air Command, Singh was the commandant of the National Defence Academy. He retired from service on 31 December 2015 after three decades of service. Air Marshal SBP Sinha, AVSM, VM succeeded him as the AOC-in-C.
Family
Air Marshal KS Gill is married to Ranjeet Gil, a homemaker. The couple have three children. The second child and their only son Shahbeg Singh Gill is a fighter pilot and was commissioned in the IAF into the Flying Branch.