Air Officer Commanding in Chief Western Air Command visits Air Force Station Halwara

Jalandhar, September 25, 2013: Air Marshal SS Soman, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Air Command visited Air Force Station Halwara on September 24-25.  
Air Marshal SS Soman and Rashmi Soman President Air Force Wives Welfare Association (Regional) (AFWWA-R) were received by Air Commodore RGK Kapoor, Air Officer Commanding, Air Force Station Halwara and his wife Dr (Mrs) Suneeta Kapoor President AFWWA (Local).   
The Air Marshal was presented a guard of honour before being introduced to the key appointments of the station.  This was followed by the wreath laying ceremony at the Station War Memorial. The Air Marshal visited the squadrons and important installations in Air Force Station Halwara.
Later in the day he interacted with the air warriors of the base.
Air Marshal SS Soman is a graduate of the National Defence Academy, Pune. He was commissioned in the Flying Branch in Dec 1976 and has more than 3400 hours of flying on fighter aircraft. His field assignments include Commanding Officer of a Fighter Squadron, Chief Flying Instructor at the Flying Instructor’s School, Chief Operations Officer of a premier Air Force Station during Op Parakram and Air Officer Commanding of a fighter base. His senior assignments include Air Defence Commander and Senior Air Staff Officer at HQ Western Air Command and at HQ South Western Air Command.   As Senior Air Staff Officer HQ SWAC, he coordinated the planning and conduct of Exercise Iron Fist in Pokharan.
He is an alumnus of Defence Services Staff College and has graduated from Air War College, USA.   He has served as Assistant Defence Adviser at the High Commission of India, Dhaka. The Air Marshal was awarded the Vayu Sena Medal and Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 1999 and 2009, respectively.
Rashmi Soman President AFWWA (R) Western Air Command has several years of teaching experience across various schools at IAF bases. She was the Vice Principal at the India International School in Dhaka for three years. She has also taught English language for a year to a group of International spouses at an US Air Force base.   She has worked for more than a decade in the field of Education and Career Counseling and has travelled extensively to participate in the training workshops.
She was the Secretary of Dhaka Indian Women’s Association (DIWA), wherein various social & welfare activities for women of Indian origin were conducted.   She was instrumental in conducting various cultural programmes exhibiting and enhancing Indian culture amongst the international community.   Soman visited ‘Umeed Vidya Kiran’, Pre- Nursery School and ‘Umeed Asha Kiran’ school for special children, all of which are a part of welfare activities run by Dr Suneeta Kapoor President AFWWA (Local). She also visited 9 Air Force Hospital to inquire about the welfare of patients.   
An AFWWA meeting was organised where Rashmi Soman interacted with the ‘Sanginis’ (the spouses of Air Warriors).