Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa is the 25th Chief of Air staff of the Indian Air force, who
assumed the said charge on 31st December 2016. He was born on 7th September 1957 at Gharuan, S.A.S.
Nagar, Punjab. His father S. Sarwan Singh who was an IAS officer served as the Chief Secretary to the Punjab
government during 1980s and later as an advisor to the Punjab state governor. His grandfather had fought
in World War II as a captain of the British Indian Army. Dhanoa is an alumnus of the Rashtriya Indian
Military College, Dehradun and had graduated from National Defence Academy. He has also attended a
staff course in Defence Services Staff College, New Delhi. He was commissioned into the fighter stream of
Indian Air Force in June 1978. During his career he held a number of important operational appointments
including Station Commander of a fighter base and leader of an Indian Military Training Team abroad. He
has also served as Chief Instructor (Air) at the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, Assistant Chief of
the Air Staff (Intelligence) at Air Headquarters and Senior Air Staff Officer of two operational Commands.
Prior to being appointed as Vice Chief of the Air Staff, the Air Marshal was the Air Officer Commandingin-Chief of the South Western Air Command. He took over as the Vice Chief of the Air Staff (VCAS)
on 1st June 2015. In recognition for his meritorious services, he was awarded Yudh Seva Medal (YSM),
Vayusena Medal (VM) in 1999, and Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) in 2015 by the President of India. His
distinguished career and his present position in the Air Force will make all the Indians proud of him. The
Sikhs definitely look forward to him as a great role model. He is married to Mrs. Kamalpreet and they have
a son Jasman who is pursuing law.