Major General Dalvir Singh AVSM, VrC, VSM was born on 7 April 1946 and is a retired Indian Special Forces officer, a former General Officer of the Indian Army and the recipient of Vir Chakra, India's third-highest War-time gallantry award.
25 Facts About Dalvir Singh
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Dalvir Singh has commanded the 10th Battalion Special Forces, the elite 52 Special Action Group of the NSG, Kilo Force of the Rashtriya Rifles and the Territorial Army, with distinction.
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Dalvir Singh was born in a Hindu Jat family in the Loharheri village, Rohtak in the north Indian state of Haryana, as the son of Tarachand Singh Redhu.
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Dalvir Singh is an alumnus of Rashtriya Military School Ajmer where he did his schooling.
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Dalvir Singh graduated from the Indian Military Academy as a Commissioned Officer in 1967.
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Dalvir Singh did Higher Command Course at Army War College, Mhow and was selected for the prestigious Strategic Leadership Course at National Defence College.
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Dalvir Singh was commissioned into the Indian Army Corps of Engineers in 1967 as a Second Lieutenant and served in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 as an Army Engineer.
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Dalvir Singh was one of the pioneer officers who played a vital role when National Security Guard was set up.
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Dalvir Singh was part of the 52 Special Action Group from National Security Guard which specialized in anti-hijack missions and led many covert operations.
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Dalvir Singh famously earned the nickname "Saint Soldier" in Sri Lanka; a name given by LTTE, as he was as humble as a saint in behaviour yet ferocious in battle, like a true soldier.
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Dalvir Singh was the first Indian Special Forces Commanding Officer, along with his unit 10th Battalion Special Forces, to enter Sri Lanka and the last to leave as well.
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Dalvir Singh was awarded Vir Chakra for volunteering and successfully rescuing his soldiers, and for displaying conspicuous courage and valiant leadership in the face of strong militant opposition, as per his award citation.
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Dalvir Singh commanded the elite 52 SAG of National Security Guards, as well as the Counter Insurgency Kilo Force of Rashtriya Rifles which handle Kupwara, Baramulla and Srinagar regions.
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Dalvir Singh headed India's Territorial Army as its Additional Director General.
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Dalvir Singh is credited as one of the core officers who set up and modernized the training strategies for National Security Guards.
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Dalvir Singh is credited for raising the training standards of the Territorial Army while he served as its Additional Director General.
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Dalvir Singh finally retired at the rank of Major General even though he was approved for the rank of Lieutenant General, for personal reasons in 2004.
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Dalvir Singh has been serving as its Director Training since then.
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Dalvir Singh raised Thar Falcons, an anti-terror police unit, and under his tutelage, they got selected for guarding Cairn India Oil Field in Barmer, Rajasthan.
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Lieutenant Colonel Dalvir Singh, Commanding Officer, 10 Para Commando was deployed in Sri Lanka as part of the Indian Peace Keeping Force.
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Dalvir Singh launched his team of para commandos to hit the militants' headquarters in the heart of Jaffna town, for searching the defence, preliminary to the final assault.
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Dalvir Singh extricated the commando team, along with its casualties, fighting his way out of the militants' cordon to safety.
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Lieutenant Colonel Dalvir Singh thus displayed conspicuous courage and valiant leadership in the face of strong militant opposition.
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Dalvir Singh was awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal in 1998 for commanding the 52 SAG of the National Security Guards with distinction, and the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2002 for successfully commanding the Kilo Force.
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Dalvir Singh was honoured with the Mirza Raja Jai Singh I Award by the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum Trust, for his distinguished service in the Indian Armed Forces.