Maj. Gen. Raj Mehta (retd)

There are heroes and there are heroes. So goes the popular perception of brave-hearts. In the military sense, heroism is often an event, an episode or a happening quite often unplanned but sometimes planned as well. This is when there is an opportunity; a chance to do something unexpected; something out-of-the-box; something extraordinary either individually or in a buddy pair, sub team or team action. The person gets involved in a manner led by gut instinct, grit, enterprise, cold courage tested almost always against impossible odds. Such a brave-heart is led by selflessness and unit/country-first ideals, always and every time.

So, there are heroes… and there are heroes. By implication, this means that some heroes rise above heroism itself. When they do, they need to be respected, admired; placed on an altar where only t