Mumbai, Apr 1 (PTI) Lieutenant General Sandeep Jain took charge as General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Command on Wednesday, succeeding Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth who took over as Vice Chief of the Indian Army.

An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Lieutenant General Jain was commissioned into the MAHAR Regiment in June 1988. Over a career spanning nearly four decades, he has held a wide range of command and staff appointments, a Defence release said.

Jain has commanded an Infantry Battalion in semi-developed terrain as well as in the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, an infantry brigade in a strike corps, a counter insurgency force and a pivot corps in Northern Command.

His operational experience includes participation in Operation Pawan, service as a military observer with the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and multiple tenures in high-altitude areas and counter-insurgency operations along the Line of Control and in the North East. He is also the Colonel of the MAHAR Regiment.

Prior to assuming command of Southern Command, he served as chief of staff at headquarters Southern Command in Pune where he contributed significantly to capability development, force restructuring and overall operational preparedness, a statement said.

In recognition of his distinguished service, he has been awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and the Sena Medal.

On assuming command, Lt General Jain paid tribute to fallen soldiers at the Southern Command War Memorial and received a Guard of Honour at the command headquarters.

The command will continue to focus on operational readiness across its diverse areas of responsibility, including deserts, the Rann and Creek Sector, coastline, island territories and hinterland, he said. PTI PR KRK