Lt General Joshi to take over as GOC Northern Command today

Decorated Army officer Lieutenant General Y K Joshi will take over the charge as the GOC-in-C of Northern Command in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur on Saturday, a defence spokesman said on Friday.

Lt Gen Joshi was commissioned into the 13 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles on June 12, 1982, and later commanded the same unit, he said.  The General Officer is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, and a postgraduate from the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington. He attended the prestigious National Defence College Course at New Delhi, the spokesman said.

Lt Gen Joshi has command experience spanning the entire mosaic, covering all theatres. He commanded the 13 JAK RIF in Operation Vijay and Parakram, the spokesman said. The officer caught the attention of the nation during the Kargil war with his outstanding leadership under the nickname 'Joe' and led his unit to unprecedented success, he said.

Lt Gen Joshi has had tenures as instructor at Infantry School, Mhow, and varied staff exposure, including staff appointment at Military Operations Directorate and as Defence Attache to Beijing (China). He has also served as Military Observer in United Nations, Angola, the spokesman said.