Lt Gen Manoj Katiyar assumes charge as Western Army Commander

Chandigarh, July 1

Lieutenant General Manoj Kumar Katiyarassumed the appointment of General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Command, at Chandimandir Military Station on Saturday.

Prior to this, he was serving as the Director General Military Operations (DGMO) at Army Headquarters in New Delhi.

Lieutenant General Pratik Sharma, who was commanding the Kharga Corps at Ambala, has been posted as the new DGMO.

On assuming office as the Western Army Commander, General Katiyar laid a wreath at Veer Smriti war memorial to paying homage to soldiers who have made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty, and inspected a guard of honour.

An alumnus of National Defence Academy, Khadakvasla, he was commissioned into the 23rd Battalion of The Rajput Regiment in June 1986, and is presently the Colonel of The Rajput Regiment.

In a career spanning over 37 years, General Katiyar has served across a wide spectrum of operational areas, including Siachen Glacier, along Line of Control and along the Line of Actual Control in the western as well as eastern sectors.

He commanded his battalion twice, in Uri and at Taksing, an Infantry brigade along the western borders, a mountain division along the northern borders and a mountain strike corps responsible for offensive operations.

Hehas served as an instructor in the Indian Military Training Team in Bhutan and at the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington. Heis also a distinguished graduate of the National War College, USA.

General Katiyar was conferred with the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal for distinguished service in 2021.