Woman officer makes a mark in Guard of Honour

 A young Indian Air Force (IAF) officer, Wing Commander Pooja Thakur, created history on Sunday, becoming the first woman officer to lead a tri-services Guard of Honour in a small and impressive military ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Sunday morning.

US President Barack Obama's Cadillac “the Beast” was received at the gate of the Rashtrapati Bhavan by a cavalcade of the President's Bodyguards dressed in bright red with contrasting blue turbans; they formed a ring around the presidential vehicle and escorted him to the forecourt.

A battalion of men from the Army, Air Force and Navy, led by Wg Cdr Thakur, gave the ceremonial Guard of Honour, after which Obama inspected them.

Commissioned in the IAF in 2001, Thakur is posted to the IAF's publicity cell Disha, looking after the recruitment of officers. Daughter of a retired Army Colonel, she hails from Rajasthan.

“It is a proud moment for me to give the Guard of Honour to the world's most powerful man. Right from our training days, we are treated just like male officers, so we are officers first and women later,” she said.

For the first time, the three services picked all-woman marching contingents for the Republic Day parade, in keeping with the theme of Nari Shakti (woman power).

The US president is the chief guest at the event this year.