Wing Commander S Akheto Jakhalu, Vishisht Seva Medal
An Indian Air Force (IAF) officer from Nagaland has been conferred with the prestigious Vishisht Seva Medal. Wing Commander S Akheto Jakhalu was conferred with the distinguished service award by the President of India on the occasion of the 70th Republic Day 2019.
Jakhalu got the recognition for his “dedication and extraordinary contribution to the organisation”. The award is given to a selected few in all the three services by a committee. This year, he is the lone officer in the rank of wing commander in the entire IAF to be awarded. The officer belongs to the Sumi tribe of Nagaland and hails from Surumi village of Zunheboto district.
The officer is an alumnus of the RIMC Dehradun. He joined the National Defence Academy in Pune after clearing the UPSC entrance examination. He was commissioned in December 2000 from the Air Force Academy in Hyderabad as a fighter pilot.
Jakhalu was also a recipient of the Vice Chief of Air Staff (VCAS ) of the Indian Air Force commendation medal in 2012 for his administrative acumen, leadership, commitment and initiatives.