‘Dug for 9 days straight at 18,700 ft’ Brig SS Shekhawat Reflects on Most Demanding Mission of Life

Gulmarg, Kashmir: Brigadier Saurabh Singh Shekhawat, the Deputy Commandant of the High Altitude Warfare School (HAWS), is a man well-acquainted with formidable challenges. With three ascents of Mount Everest and the prestigious Kirti Chakra among his many accolades, his career is a testament to his extraordinary resolve and bravery. However, he describes Operation RTG as the most demanding mission of his life.

"Dug for nine days straight, 10-12 hours every day at 18,700 feet," Brigadier Shekhawat recounted. "Tons of snow and ice were removed." The gruelling effort, both physically and mentally, tested the resilience of the entire team.   

Despite the immense hardships, Brigadier Shekhawat expressed a profound sense of fulfilment. "It has been the toughest mission of my life, physically, mentally, and emotionally," he said. "But I am satisfied that we have retrieved them. Rohit has been cremated with full military honours. Thakur and Gautam are being sent to their kin, where they will receive befitting last rites. The soldiers deserve this dignity." 

His words underscore the spirit and dedication of the HAWS team, highlighting their commitment to bringing their fallen comrades home.

Brigadier Saurabh Singh Shekhawat: A Profile  

Brigadier Saurabh Singh Shekhawat, is an officer from the 21 Para (SF), and is considered one of the Indian Army's most decorated officers. His illustrious career includes one war-time gallantry award and two peacetime gallantry awards. Shekhawat was commissioned into the 17 Battalion of the Maratha Light Infantry as a Second Lieutenant from the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, on 11 June 1994. He rose through the ranks, being promoted to lieutenant in 1996, captain in 1999, major in 2004, lieutenant colonel in 2007, colonel in 2010, and brigadier in March 2020.

Brigadier Shekhawat is also an avid mountaineer, having ascended Mount Everest three times—in 2001, 2003, and 2005. He has also climbed Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa, and Mont Blanc, the highest peak in the Alps and Western Europe. In October 2009, he led a joint Indo-Kazakh team to scale the Marble Wall peak in Kazakhstan. To date, he has climbed 14 peaks worldwide. On 23 June 2022, a 55-man Indian Army expedition team, led by Shekhawat, successfully scaled Shahi Kangri.

High Altitude Warfare School (HAWS)  

The High Altitude Warfare School (HAWS) is a premier defence service training and research establishment of the Indian Army. Established as a ski school in Gulmarg in 1948, HAWS has evolved into a specialized institution focusing on snow-craft and winter warfare. Located in a region prone to avalanches, it is renowned for its rigorous training programs and cutting-edge research in high-altitude and mountain warfare.

HAWS offers two primary training programmes: the Mountain Warfare course and the Winter Warfare course. The Mountain Warfare course is conducted in Sonamarg between May and October, while the Winter Warfare course takes place in Gulmarg from January to April. These courses train personnel in high-altitude warfare, counter-intelligence, and survival skills, with ice-craft training held at Machoi across Zojila. Army personnel deployed to the Siachen Glacier and other high-altitude forward posts on the Himalayan borders undergo these courses.  

HAWS is the nodal instructional facility for specialized training and disseminating approved doctrines in mountain, high-altitude, and snow warfare. Its programs are open to personnel from the Indian armed forces as well as those from friendly foreign nations. Additionally, HAWS trains personnel in winter sports such as snowboarding, alpine skiing, and Nordic skiing.