Sanjaya,the Chronicler continued with his tales of the Vayuputra’s and the Skyhawks .Afterall, this was a new kind of war.Times were changing. The Master, child-like wondered.Not all was fable, then.No, folklore either! Dhritarashtra felt uneasy at thisthought and shifted a little in his seat.

What is this “airborne” all about? Who arethey and what do they do or are expected to? And how does the Paratroopers Training Schooland the Parachute Jump Instructors facilitate the concept, design and its execution?

BenjaminFranklin in 1784 envisioneda time when Sky-Soldiers (Vayu Sena) would be delivered from the sky, with acrude, rudimentary understanding of parachutes by saying,"Where is theprince who can afford so to cover his country with troops for its defense, sothat ten thousand men descending from the clouds might not, in many places, doan infinite deal of mischief before a force could be brought together to repelthem?"

In a very simplistic way, airborne forces can bedivided into three categories:

· Paratrooper : soldier landed by parachute fromaircraft,

· Airlanding troops:landed by aircraft (usually glider),

· Air assault : troops or air mobileinfantry—transported to the battle by helicopter or by aircraft.

The basic premise of the Airborne is that theycan arrive with such speed that a coherent defense cannot be mounted quickly.It is assumed that this tactical advantage cannot be sustained for very long,so paratroopers must either use the supplies of the enemy, be continuously re-suppliedby air or wait to be relieved by ground troops. Though Airborne troops areusually defenseless in transit, their sudden appearance can surprise or 'shock'defending forces for a short time.

The Indian Army mostly composed of the “maroonberets” or Paratroopers perform this operational role with the help of a large numberof the aerial platforms like the transport planes, drones, gliders,helicoptersand Para Jump Instructors (PJI’s) and Safety Equipment Workers (Riggers), ownedand operated by the Indian Air Force. Amongst other things the latter goesfurther to provide the training in using the parachute, the allied weapons andmethods of delivery in peace and combat.. Primarily, these resources arelocated and operated from the ParatroopersTraining School, Agra. The Parachute Basic Course followed bya Refresher Course, The Jump Master Course, Pathfinder Course, ParachuteConversion Course, and Combat Freefall Basic & Advanced Course are some ofthe Training Courses imparted at PTS by the PJI’s. This broad structure is alegacy of the British colonial past and the Indian Armed Forces in its wisdomhas chosen to continue with it while the American, Russian and Chinese forcesmake do with a different configuration of command, control and resourcesinvolved. The exclusivity or role-compartmentalization of the services has,however, over the years been balanced by a competing sense of inter-servicecoordination, inter-operability and interdependence.

It ishowever, important to iterate at this stage once again that the sole purpose ofthis episodic saga is to posit Akashganga, the Indian Air Force Skydiving Teamin context and perspective .Whether or not the IAF should control and directthe resources or are the PJI’s sufficiently qualified and developed to themodern needs without having independent command or sufficient say in theairborne doctrine within the IAF or whether the current training and syllabusat PTS in particular are good to go are not quite the part of this tale. It istherefore, best left to another day, time and place.

All this while Sanjaya was fighting his own demons within. Did he not witness“the war of all wars” -the Pandava-Kaurava war? The world stood ravaged andrazed to the ground – a massive wasteland. There were no heroes and no victorsfor brother had killed brother in this epical “Dharmayudhha”.Krishna himselfhad not survived. Death was the only leveler and the final Truth.To whatconsequence the devas , then !

And what of these Para Jump Instructors?No, devaputras, they. But, mere mortals surely.Simple sons of a mother werethey-Children of the common, officers and senior non-combatant officers fromthe non-technical stream who had but wanted to do better. The planes, theskies, weapons and war spurred within them some primal instinct of power,magicand dreams. They were brave though and were prepared to take their risks. Dhartiputra”is how, Sanjaya correctly saw them now ,mercifully beyond the mist and smoke ofhyperbole.

Opportunities came the way forthose who had the will to be what fighting men are meant to be. Get up muchbefore the sun did, run for miles, carry weights, and sweat as if forever andstretch the body as only it can. Rest would there be never. At least for thenine months of the “vanvaas” (read training).The dear and fond were to beforgotten and wounds and pain nursed on one’s own. Static line jumps a plentyto be made -two score and more from different parachutes and aeroplanes.Lifechanging Instructional coaching from weird apparatuses and in native Hindi were by foul- mouthed, hard-assed“saabs” or “ustads”(senior non-com mentors) as they were endearingly called. Inbetween all of this an Army Basic and Refresher Paratroopers Training Course ofa section each (that is 10 troopers) was to have been completed safely byyou-the trainee Instructor. The first tryst with the Indian Army in many waysand friends for life. Mind you, it meant that around 70 jumps including nightand with full weapon loads were to have been safely completed. That one did notsleep during this period of the course thinking of the million things thatcould go wrong with the parachute is of course quite another matter. Theshadowy and ubiquitous, know-all officer-in charge was always close at hand tomake the training day that much longer and harder for the slightest grimacethat you made. The Messes were, however heaven on earth and the only friend.You eat like a pig at odd hours and slept like dead no sooner on the bed. Lifewas nasty, brutish and hell.The end of the course was forever further away.This PJI Course of the Air Force was thetoughest. Only, just for the Air Force though.

Those that do survive this trial by fireare reborn, - to join the elite fraternity known as the Parachute Jump Instructor. This then is thetale of the home to the brave .No, devaputra, him ! You would quite agree with Sanjayafor that, I am certain.