Army constitutes one of the branches of the defence services where the forces are trained to fight on land. The regular Army consists of armed personnel (troops), their equipment, weapons and military bases. Almost all nations maintain an army for defending the country. The size and topography of countries differ so does the requirement of troops, clothing, weapons and support systems.
Continuous training and exercises keep the troops combat ready. They require high mobility and tremendous fire power. Highly advanced and developed countries today rely on armoured personnel carriers, tanks, missiles, helicopters, air borne artillery, mobile field guns, nuclear power, etc., whereas developing nations rely more on trained infantry and guerrilla warfare because they can not develop or purchase modern armaments. The purpose of having an army is to defend the geographical parameters of the country from bordering enemy countries or distant invaders. The same army can be used to take over the territory of the enemy country. Hence the army is trained both for offence and defence. Army also comes to civilian aid during various types of emergencies like floods, earth quakes, during civil riots and insurgencies, etc.
The Army is made up of regiments and corps, each of which has a specific military function. New recruits join a regiment of a corps which allows them to develop their interests and skills within the Army. Combat arms are actively involved in fighting while other arms such as transport, supply, medical services provide a range of essential support services. Entry to the Army is through a basic training as Officer/Junior Commissioned Officer or Jawan. This section covers the options and entry for officer cadres.
Nature of Work
Army constitutes of the Infantry, Armoured tanks, Artillery, Engineers, Communication troops and other support troops who look after clothing, food, transportation, repair of equipments and give medical help.
Infantry
Infantry has a number of regiments and forms almost 25% of the Army. It plays a major role during war and in the Army’s peace keeping tasks. Infantry fights the enemy on foot by using rifles, sten guns, grenades, machine guns, mortars, anti tank guns, small rockets, etc. It holds the ground by physically occupying it during invasions or defends the ground and borders during peace. For high mobility there are armoured personnel carriers and other vehicles. Officers have to specialise in handling of various types of arms and rockets, etc. Armoured corps These are constituted by armoured regiments which destroy enemy tanks or are used in attacking the enemy. This is one of the most prestigious arm of the army, it is also used for enemy reconnaissance for gathering tactical information and for countering any airborne enemy landing. They move swiftly and advance deep into enemy territory along with infantry in armoured personnel carriers.
Artillery has two sub-divisions : first is air defence guns and missiles which are used for defending vulnerable targets from enemy air attack like airfields, vital defence installations, installations of economic and catastrophic importance such as dams, nuclear power houses, etc. Second are the field guns, rockets and tactical missiles which are used for ground fire support to infantry or armoured regiment. Air observation personnel fly helicopters, guide their artillery fire and fire rockets on enemy positions. They also drop our troops behind enemy lines, supply arm and ammunitions to troops.
Technical branch
Engineers
These armed personnel help in rapid movement of the three arms by building roads, bridges, airfields and destroying enemy bridges, putting obstacles for enemy movement, laying mine fields for their defence and destroying enemy minefields. They construct camps and accommodation for troops, prepare helipads, roads, electric power stations for camps. They do survey work, make maps and destroy unexploded bombs.
Signals
Signals personnel provide, operate, maintain communication link between all troops in the battle field, all army establishments, between other arms and civil requirements as per army’s need. They also specialise in control of electronic warfare. Modern, rapid and accurate communication are an essential part of army weapon system.
Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (EME)
Troops of this service are concerned with servicing, maintenance, repairs and fabrication of technical equipments. From rifles to vehicles, missiles, tanks, other weapons, communication equipment, helicopters, electric equipments, in fact all what army requires and can be used after repairs, is the concern of EME. The working staff includes Mechanical Engineers, Electrical/Electronic Engineers, Aeronautical Engineers, Electronics and Communication Engineers. For this branch army recruits engineers for their officer cadres and trains them further according to its needs. Engineers work with Armed Corp, Artillery, Infantry, Intelligence Corps also.
Medical branch
Army medical corps (AMC)
Medical Officers provide medical care for all three services personnel and their families, and advise on occupational and community medicine. They manage the hospitals, clinics and MI rooms. Army trains its own doctors, nursing officers and para medical staff at Pune and other large hospitals. They also enroll doctors and dental surgeons trained in other medical colleges.
Enrollment and training of all medical and paramedical staff is done in the Army Medical Corps. Doctors are seconded to Navy and Air force.
Nursing officers
Nursing staff takes care of patients whilst helping to manage a ward. They nurse service personnel and their families.
Dental officers
They work in dental centers looking after the dental health of defence personnel. Medical facilities for troops and families are available from consultation to treatment in hospitals.
Other branches
Army service corps (ASC)
ASC personnel are involved in the mobility of troops, vehicles, food, petrol and other fuels, arms and ammunition, movement of men and material by train and port operations. They also provide rations for troops, clothing, fuel and ammunition and are also responsible for storing them. They are in charge of field postal services in forward areas, and also have courier service for carrying classified documents.
Ordinance corps (AOC)
These army personnel are responsible for procurement, storage, maintenance and issue of all types of hardware, i.e., from tanks, weapons, ammunition to tents and personnel clothing, etc. They also store and preserve ammunition, missiles and bombs, etc.
Intelligence corps
Officers of this branch interpret and analyse information gathered through various sources so as to know what the enemy is likely to do. Personnel of this branch specialise in signal intelligence, photographic interpretation, decoding of coded messages, combat and protective security, etc.
Education corps
Further education and teaching is essential for troops so that they can keep pace with the advancement in technology, weapon systems, electronics and computerisation etc. Education officers and other JCOs are enrolled as teachers for educating the troops and officers.
Postal services
This branch looks after the postal needs of army, their men and families. All non classified and personal mail, money orders and parcels etc are sent from or to forward areas through this service.
Judge advocate general branch
Law graduates are enrolled directly for providing legal help to army for dealing with civil cases and for disciplinary actions against serving personnel. Legal officers advise on evidence for court martial, drafting charges and conducting prosecutions. They also provide general legal advice to staff.
Remount veterinary corps
For supporting its troops army runs dairy farms and a few agricultural farms. For carrying guns and heavy load of ammunition, rations, etc., to high attitudes they need special breed of mules and for trekking enemy spies and infiltrators specially trained dogs. For maintaining and running these establishments they need trained agriculturists (M.Agri.) and veterinary surgeons (B.V. Sc. & A.H.). These officers run military farms and other animal stables.
