CHANDIGARH: An alumnus of Maharaja Ranjit Singh Armed Forces Preparatory Institute (AFPI) at Mohali, Flying Officer Raghav Arora has been awarded the ‘Sword of Honour’ and trophy for ‘Best in Flying’ during the combined graduation parade at Air Force Academy in Dundigal, Hyderabad, on June 18.
A native of Pathankot, Flying Officer Arora graduated from the 6th course of AFPI to join the National Defence Academy (NDA) in 2018.
He has been allotted the fighter stream and would now be proceeding to Air Force Station, Bidar, for his phase-III flying training on the Hawk-Mk-132 aircraft. His parents are doctors and run a pharmaceutical business.
Arora said, “When we joined this prestigious Maharaja Ranjit Singh Armed Forces Preparatory Institute, little did we know what was about to kick off!” He added that the two years that they spent at AFPI were truly transforming and turned them from boys into men and finally soldiers.
Flying Officer Arora said that they have been inculcated skills, including PT, games, debate and drill at AFPI, and the PT instructors were inspiring, though they made the day endless and tiring. Earlier Flying Officer Shubhdeep Singh Aulakh, another alumnus of AFPI (6th course), was commissioned in the flying branch of the IAF and assigned the fighter stream.
