Today, on this special occasion of the 22nd Raising Day of the only Operational Quad-Services Command of the Nation, it is my proud privilege & a matter of great honour that my thoughts in the form of this message are reaching out to each & every valiant soldier, sailor, airman and navik serving under the proud flag of ANC. I have been fortunate to have had the singular privilege of having been the CINCAN and CNS, wherein I have been operationally and now, administratively closely associated with the functioning of this prestigious Command.
The significance and importance of unified operations to handle current day conflict under a centralized Command structure emerged in the aftermath of the Kargil War of 1999. The Group of Ministers' (GoM) report on National Security recommended the replacement of the FORTAN, with a unified Andaman & Nicobar Command, which would control the assets of the three services and the Coast Guard on the Islands.
Based on these recommendations, the Government approved the establishment of the Andaman & Nicobar Command (ANC) as a Quad-Services Command on 11 May 2001. Accordingly, the Command was raised on 08 Oct. 2001 under the first Commander-in-Chief Andaman & Nicobar (CINCAN), Vice Admiral Arun Prakash, AVSM, VrC, VSM. All components of the three services and the Coast Guard positioned at the Islands were placed under operational control of the CINCAN. In another pioneering foresighted move of the Government in 2017, all individual component lands of the Army, Navy, Air Force & Coast Guard in A & N Islands were merged under the common and singular custody of the CINCAN, on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.
The Command has progressed further towards better integration by creation of integrated Station Headquarters in May this year to bring Estate Management, works services, budgetary control all under one roof, thus freeing the Components Commander to focus on operational tasks.
I also congratulate the ANC for undertaking recruitment of more than 300 Tradesmen (SK) in a short span of time, thus strengthening the NSRY with much needed manpower.
I feel proud to be a part of the glorious history of this fledgling Command and extol all officers and personnel to continue to serve with synergy and professionalism which is showing the way for the larger theaterisation endeavor at hand. May the flag of the Command always keep soaring high and achieve greater laurels to create a name for itself. Best wishes and heartiest compliments to one and all on this proud and memorable day.
Jai Hind!
Admiral D K Joshi
PVSM, AVSM, YSM, NM, VSM (Retd.)
Lt. Governor, A&N Islands
& Vice Chairman, Islands Development Agency