One of the most-searched Indian Army officers today is Major Rishabh Singh Sambyal, who served as the ADC of the President of India before retiring for personal reasons. When one looks at him in uniform, something that surely catches the eye are the medals and badges of Major Rishabh Singh Sambyal. But, have you ever wondered what each one signifies? Today, we decode every badge and medal that the officer has been awarded.
Who is Major Rishabh Singh Sambyal?
Major Rishabh Singh Sambyal is one of those people in the country who do not need an introduction as their work speaks for them. Despite this, we tell you about him before delving into the badges of Major Rishabh Singh Sambyal.
Major Sambyal is a retired Indian Army officer who was commissioned into the Jat Regiment of the organization in 2018 from the Indian Military Academy at Dehradun. In 2020, he was promoted to the rank of Captain and he served in the North-East.
During this phase of his life he first came to spotlight for leading the Jat Regiment contingent during the Republic Day parade in 2021. Under his leadership, the contingent was also awarded the Best Marching Contingent Trophy that year. Later, he served in Jammu and Kashmir but the turning phase came in 2023 when he was selected as the Aide-de-Camp to the President of India.
Since 2023, Major Rishabh Singh Sambyal has gained widespread recognition for his selfless actions of care as well as his duty-bound persona. However, earlier this year, he retired from his service due to personal reasons. Still, his lessons and experiences continue to motivate the youth from all parts of the country.
Let us now look at the medals and badges of Major Rishabh Singh Sambyal, which he has earned over his service years with his diligence.
Badges of Major Rishabh Singh Sambyal
While the uniform of an officer is an inspiration for many, the badges and medals that are pinned on it remain the highlight for aspirants. Most of the time we cannot tell what each one signifies, hence, we tell you what each of the badges of Major Rishabh Singh Sambyal means.
Para Jump Wings
The first one of the badges of Major Rishabh Singh Sambyal is the Para Jump Wings, which is associated with his tenure in the Para SF. This badge is earned by those who successfully complete the basic Parachute course by doing jumps from an aircraft during the day and the night.
The badge shows an airborne brevet with a parachute and two wings. Major Sambyal wears it on his right, just above his name tag. It speaks of his efficiency at something that most people aspire to do.
Balidaan Badge
The next most eye-catching badges of Major Rishabh Singh Sambyal is the coveted Balidaan Badge, which translates to the “Badge of Sacrifice”. It is only worn by those cadets who qualify the probation phase to join the Para Special Forces, and Major Sambyal was one of the few.
This badge symbolises the sacrifices that the individual has made to join the elite forces and his willingness to safeguard the sanctity of the country even to the peril of his life. It is worn to the right side below the pocket.
CoAS Commendation
Moving towards the left of the uniform, we see the commendation badges of Major Rishabh Singh Sambyal. The first of these is the Chief of Army Staff Commendation. This is awarded to personnel for their distinguished acts of service, devotion to duty, or acts of gallantry.
Major Sambyal was awarded the CoAS commendation for his service as the ADC to the President of India. It symbolises his duty-bound nature and as you can see, the badge is worn below the ribbons, on the left pocket.
VCoAS Commendation
Right next to the CoAS Commendation, you will see a red-coloured badge. This is the Vice Chief of Army Staff Commendation badge which is awarded for distinguished service, or bravery by the Vice Chief of the Indian Army.
This badge was awarded to Major Rishabh Singh Sambyal for leading the Jat Regiment during the 2021 Republic Day parade, which also won the Best Marching Contingent Trophy. It is worn adjacent to the CoAS Commendation badge.
Medals
Now that we have spoken about the badges of Major Rishabh Singh Sambyal, we also delve into the medals that he wears. Each medal signifies something. During service, he was awarded four medals, starting from the left:
- Special Service Medal: This medal signifies active service during minor operations or short-duration missions. Major Sambyal was awarded this for serving in an insurgency-heavy area.
- Sainya Seva Medal: This is another service medal which is awarded for non-operational service in areas having harsh conditions, and this was earned by him for his service in Jammu and Kashmir.
- High Altitude Medal: This medal is awarded for serving in high-altitude regions such as the Siachen Glacier. It is called “Uchch Tungata Padak” in Hindi.
- 75th Anniversary of Independence Medal: Lastly, we have the 75th Anniversary of Independence medal, which is a commemorative medal from 2022 awarded to each service personnel.
Final Thoughts
These were the badges of Major Rishabh Singh Sambyal that speak of his service as an Indian Army officer. Remember that these are not just decorations but a testament of what it takes to serve the country in uniform. Hence, if you have something that you want to be decoded, do let us know and we would be happy to share our insights on it for you.
