Among the several distinctions the Indian Army's Western Command located here has recorded, what stands out is that it has contributed 10 of the 23 chiefs since independence in 1947.
Not surprisingly, the appointment of Lt. Gen. Joginder Jaswant Singh as the Indian Army chief has resulted in jubilation at the command headquarters, located on the outskirts of Chandigarh, the combined capital of Punjab and Haryana.
Singh will make it 11 out of 24 for Western Command when he takes over as army chief Feb 1, 2005 on the retirement of the present incumbent, Gen N.C. Vij.
On Sunday, the sun-bathed Command House - Singh's official residence - was a beehive of activity.
His wife Anupama - an established artist, textile designer and avid golfer - welcomed the guests as they poured in.
Among those who came to congratulate the Singh was former army chief Gen. V.P. Malik and his wife Ranjana. Malik lives in the adjoining township of Panchkula.
The last time the Western Command - India's foremost strike command which guards the country's western frontier with Pakistan - contributed an Army chief was nearly a decade ago when Gen. B.C. Joshi occupied the post.
The first army chief from the Western Command was Gen K.M. Carriapa, who holds the distinction of being the first Indian to command the Indian Army after independence.
Cariappa was elevated to Field Marshal in 1986, the second Indian Army officer to hold the rank.
The army's first Field Marshal, Sam Maneckshaw, went on to become the chief after his stint at the Western Command.
Maneckshaw was elevated after the 1971 war with Pakistan that led to the creation of Bangladesh.
Another Indian Army chief, Gen. S.F. Rodrigues, who was elevated from the Western Command, was earlier this month appointed Punjab governor.
Other heads of the Western Command who have gone on to become army chiefs are S.M. Srinagesh, K.S. Thimayya, P.N. Thapar, T.N. Raina, K.V. Krishna Rao and K. Sundarji.
Of them, Krishna Rao became governor of Jammu and Kashmir.
--Indo-Asian News Service