Learning aircraft basics, pitching tents fast
Taking a break from textbooks, boys and girls from various schools and colleges across the state are donning the National Cadet Corps (NCC) uniform for some extensive field work.
Around 600 cadets from the air wing of NCC (Jharkhand) are taking part at the 10-day pre-Vayu Sainik camp from August 20 to 29 at Birsa Munda Football Stadium in Morabadi.
Aged between 14 and 22 years, the cadets are being groomed to join the air force and develop leadership and crisis management skills.
"Two more NCC camps are likely to be held in September and October in Jharkhand itself. A total of 34 cadets will be selected from Bihar and Jharkhand to take part in the All-India Vayu Sainik camp to be held in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, in October-end," said Gulabchand Saini, NCC's warrant officer-cum-camp adjutant.
Looking dapper in their badges, caps and NCC uniforms, cadets start the day from 5am sharp to undergo rigorous physical training.
"Out of 600 cadets who are taking part, 505 are boys while rest are girls. In Jharkhand, there are 1,450 NCC cadets in the air wing division out of which 200 belong to the senior division," said Saini.
The camp is also aimed at instilling a sense of discipline among the youngsters and encouraging them to take up social services.
"Many of the cadets may join the Indian Army or Air Force in future. Here, they are being imparted military training that will help them become perfect combatants. They are also taught the basics of aeronautical engineering. We also keep them constantly updated about modern warfare. They also getting to take part in mock drills," said one of the trainers.
For instance, as part of their training, five cadets had to raise a makeshift tent in less than 10 minutes.
Then, a portion at the pavilion on the football grounds was converted into an aero-modelling unit where cadets created miniature aircraft powered by fuel.
They also designed models of advanced fighter planes of Indian Air Force like Mikoyan MiG-29, Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 and SEPECAT Jaguar.
Earlier, remote-controlled miniature aircraft were operated from Birsa Munda football grounds. But, after one crashed due to inappropriate radio frequency interference, cadets were taken to Namkum military grounds to learn the operation of fighter jets.
Cadets Mukesh Kumar Sharma of Marwari College and Roushan of Bangalore Aeronautical Engineering College might have not have yet entered the cockpit of a fighter plane but when asked about their working, they spoke like defence experts.
"We have fixed 2.5cc engine powered by fuel. The body of the aircraft is made of wood so it weighs around 2.5kg. We operate it with the help of a transmitter used to navigate it similar to a pilot operating a plane from the cockpit," said Mukesh, who holds a senior rank in the NCC.
"In the crowd of thousands, a personnel in uniform, army, navy or air force, always stands out. NCC has given us the sense of responsibility, leadership skills and being a fighter in the long run," said Roushan, the lone cadet to take part in the camp from outside the state.
