This article is basically to motivate the young boys and girls from Goa to join the Armed Forces and to create an awareness about the Army, Indian Navy, and Air Force, all the Tri services and motivation is very important because there is nothing like career in the Army Forces.
We have a distinguished officer from the Indian Armed Forces, a retired Brigadier from the Indian Army with a distinguished record. He is a recipient of Sena Medal for Distinguished Services. Brigadier Anil John Pereira, SM (Retd.) Brigadier Pereira is from Tivim Cansa Waddie Waddo, Bardez.
Brigadier Perera was commissioned in the Corps of Signals of Indian Army on 14 December 1991 and is a product of National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla and Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, the officer has undergone the staff course at Defence College, Wellington, the Senior Command Course, and the Higher Command Course at the Army War College, Mhow. On the academic front, he is both a BSC as well as a BTech in Electronics and Telecommunications from JNU, Delhi, a postgraduate in Defence and Strategic Studies from Madras University. Diploma in Senior Defence Management, DAVV, Indore and diploma in International Business Management from Indian Institute of Foreign Trade from New Delhi. He is a Certified Information System Security Professional (CISSP) from International Information System Security Certification, USA. Brigadier Pereira proceeded on premature retirement in August 2023 after almost 32 years of distinguished service. Currently, he is Vice President at the Jio Platforms Limited and looks After Information Security Strategy, Governance, Risk Management, And Compliance. He is also a prominent and regular columnist with his articles on geo strategic affairs, security matters and cyber security featuring in the Navhind Times and The Goan.
How do you do sir?
Brig. Pereira: Thank you so much, John. And at the outset, I would like to thank you for inviting me to this program. I think you're doing a Yeomen service by motivating our Goan girls and boys to join the Armed Forces. This program is not only a service to the state of Goa but also a service to the nation which you are doing.
Please tell us about yourself and what motivated you to join the Indian Army.
Brig. Pereira: Okay, that's a big question. We don't have sufficient time to go into details, otherwise, I've got plenty of stories to tell. I studied in St. Xavier's School, which was run by the Society of Jesuits. So it was one of the most disciplined school life one can veer have and be proud of. Our motto was Esto Vir in Latin which means Be a Man. Right from childhood, I was drawn towards war stories and to the uniformed forces. In fact, I remember, we used to have those black and white comic books called Commando Series. So I had 400 of them, and they were all about World War I, World War II. So this was something which was, I don't know, I felt very comfortable with the idea. One day we had a NDA cadet who came to the school in his uniform. We call it the khaki dress. And when I looked at him, I said, I want to be this person. So, I think these were the motivating factors for me to join. And this was something which was not on my mind, but just happened ... There's nobody in my family from the armed forces. And you know, Goans are, as it is, are very less exposed to the armed forces.
Brig. Pereira: It was the intrigue or the curiosity and the challenge part. And I said, okay I will join the armed forces. I opted to join the National Defence Academy, in that time the entry scheme was from the 11th standard onwards, mine was the last batch to join after 11th standard. I think I was lucky enough to escape all the studies which one must do in school and post school. I'm not saying in any way that I was not a good student. I was a topper most of the times but sometimes the pressure of studies or doing well got too much. I thought I will join the army and perhaps I won't have to study, and I have a good adventurous life. But I was proven wrong because army is all about studies. It is not what the common perception is. There's so much of studies we are made to do. I was fortunate enough to get through to NDA, where despite coming from a civilian background, I did very well. From there went on to the Indian Military Academy at Dehradun. Then we are asked to opt for an arm or service of choice in the Army. You must be aware that the Indian Army has got the combat arms like the Infantry, the Armoured Corps, the supporting arms like Artillery, Engineers and Signals and the services like EME, ASC and AOC who are the logisticians.
How did you opt for Corps of Signals?
Brig. Pereira: I made a wise choice. And I applied for Armoured Corps as the arm, I applied for Signals as the supporting arm, and I applied for ASC as the services as the three options which we had to give. This is decided based on merit, where you stand in a particular block in the order of merit. I got commissioned into the Corps of Signals. That in short is my initiation into the army. And thereafter, I served for 32 years and then took premature retirement last year. And I'm happy to say that Fauj is like ‘Once a Fauji, always a Fauji’, and at heart you remain a Fauji. So that’s my short introduction, considering the paucity of time.
We have a Corps of Signals in Goa. We have a signal centre in Goa. You have served in Corps of Signals during your tenure in the army. What is Corps of Signals?
Brig Pereira: Okay, John, just like I brought out earlier, the Corps of signals is a supporting arm. Basically, our main role and task is to provide communication to the entire army. Now, if I were to give an analogy, so it is something like the nervous system. The nervous system communicates to all parts of the body. If your nervous system comes down, then no part of the body will be able to function properly. We do this task in the Corps of Signals. We are one of the most modern supporting arms. We have got all the technology, we got mobile technology and fiber optics, modern exchanges, combat radio and satellites which we use to provide communications anywhere and everywhere. Other than that, we also do electronic warfare activities, signal intelligence activities and cyber warfare activities. So, there is a lot of technology which Signals has which is used to make the army as modern as it can be. I can say with pride that we play the lead role in infusing technology in the army.
You have served in the peacekeeping mission in Africa. How were you selected for this assignment and what was your role there? And your experiences.
Brig Pereira: India contributes the largest number of peacekeeping forces to the United Nations. And that is because we are a very professional force. And most important in that is that we are a very just force. So wherever there is conflict in the world, the conflict parties, they look forward to mediators. And that is where the demand for Indian peacekeeping forces is very high. You know what is going on in Lebanon today. We have our Indian peacekeepers working there. We had one of our officers also, he lost his life while on duty. And there have been many such instances where the Indian Army has been deployed in a mission, and the soldiers have gone beyond the call of duty and sacrificed their life for a world cause. I happened to serve in this mission in Sudan, which was one of the largest UN peace keeping mission in what was one time the largest country in Africa, where conflict was raging for more than 20 years. And the fighting was bloody, and a lot of millions of people died. There were a lot of refugees who went to the neighbouring states of Kenya and Uganda. The conflict groups signed a comprehensive peace agreement sometime in 2005 which is when I got selected for this mission. It was a very tough mission. I knew that things are going to be tough. But when I went there, I found that there is a lot which needs to be done on the ground. I was Chief Movement Control there, my duties were to mobilize various contingents from different parts of the world to Africa, get them to the team sites, and ensure that they were functioning. We got around 7,500 military observers and police officers from different countries deployed there. I was heading a multinational task force, so I had 26 military officers from various countries including from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal working with me along with national and international civil staff. I am happy to say that within a period of nine months we were able to deploy all contingents and get the mission going. Today Sudan stands divided into two countries, but I feel that was to happen because of conflict of interest but we were able to bring about peace in our time. It was a very challenging Mission, a logistics nightmare, there were mines everywhere, the runways were not functioning, the river transport was not available, everything was broken down. Despite that we were able to kickstart start everything right from ground zero and bring it up to what the Mission in Sudan is today.
Brigadier you have been awarded Sena medal for distinguished Services yes will you please tell us about this
Brigadier Pereira: I was awarded the Sena Medal which is a pure luck factor. Everybody who serves in the Army I think deserves a medal, of course some of them are lucky like me, who get awarded with the Sena medal. I got this award for my service in the Directorate General of Military Operations (DGMO) which a premier organization of the Indian Army which conducts and manages the operations of the entire Army within the country and outside the country, I happen to serve it twice, I was a Director there looking after surveillance, communications, Information Systems. When I was serving there, we happened to conduct the surgical strikes due to the effort of the troops on ground who made it happen. Today we are a regional superpower because of the actions of our people on ground, and I think somewhere in there my little bit of effort was recognized and I was awarded the Sena Medal which I'm very proud of. But I'm not in any way saying that others were not, they were more deserving people than me, but I think I was lucky to get Sena Medal.
We Goans are also proud of that.
Brigadier Pereira: Thank you so much.
Brigadier, you were a pioneer officer who started 10 plus 2 entry scheme in the Indian Army which is a very good scheme, I think. Please tell us about this, your views on this scheme.
Brigadier Pereira: I take a lot of pride in this 10 plus 2 technical entry scheme. In the year 2000, the Army decided that we needed some cutting edge in sense of manpower or human resources. So, this technical entry scheme was started wherein the intake was of cadets with minimum 70% in physics, chemistry, maths. They had to undergo the SSB interview which you know is one of the toughest interviews in the world. And thereafter, depending on the merit list, they were able to make it for a very limited number of vacancies at that time, I think it was hardly 90 to start with. And I must tell this now, that after more than 20 years since my initial batch of cadets who got commissioned in year 2004, all of them are commanding their regiments today. Also, this entry is one of the most sought-after entries in the Army. Everybody wants them because they bring to table not only the brawns but the brains. Being from the National Defence Academy myself, I made it a point to keep their physical standards higher than National Defence Academy. So physically they were doing much more than what the NDA cadets were doing. And today 20 years down the line, I can say with conviction that whatever efforts I put in at that time have paid off. I would advise our young Goan boys and girls that this is one of the most viable entries. You can look at serving the nation for around 20 years to start with. And in these 20 years you will be provided all kinds of opportunities for your self-development. Of course, there are other entry schemes which I am very sure the viewers would be aware of. We have a short service commission, we have regular commission, permanent commission entries through NDA. So there is a wide choice available here, which depending on whatever one feels like can opt for that, be it 5 years, 10 years, 20 years depending on how you want your professional development to be in the Armed forces, So my message to all the Goan girls and the boys is that if you truly believe that there is a call from your heart and the head that you need to join the Armed Forces, then come here. Otherwise, don't come here just looking for a job. I think that will be wrong choice.
Brigadier What are the qualities that are required to join the armed forces as an officer
Brigadier Pereira: I feel that ultimately be it officers or men, we are all soldiers, it just happens that some put on the ranks because of the leadership qualities they bring to the table otherwise all of us are same. Basically, what we look at is esprit de corps, it is camaraderie which means one for all, all for one which is something very important in the Army. Then it is physical and mental robustness that is very important, you can be physically good if but if you're mentally weak then you're not able to take those very important decisions on which lives of your troops depend. Then you also require discipline, loyalty, Integrity, honesty which are values are very hard to come by but uh I am happy to say that all those who got selected as officers I have seen them having these officer like qualities and they have proven these officer like qualities in battlefield and in various areas of conflict. So, these are some of the important qualities which we look for in the armed forces and these are the ones I think have borne the test of time. Today our armed forces are one of the best in the world because of these qualities which are ingrained in our troops and our officer, our men and women. There are a lot of coaching centres for SSB in elsewhere in the country not in Goa, These coaching centres are important to prepare for the SSB interview, but I won’t recommend to go for these coaching centres because I think they are just businesses trying to make a quick buck and trying to tutor candidates into giving very stage managed answers and stage managed reactions. Let me tell you in this SSB interview, those 5 days are enough for the people who are carrying out the interview to discern as to who you really are. My advice to all the Goans who aspire to join the Armed Forces would be, just be yourself and go for the interview and do what you feel like doing and say what you feel like saying and write what you feel like writing. Don't try to be someone else, there can be only you. Don't go with the mask because the mask will fall off. Also, if you're destined to join the armed forces, let me tell you that you will join because your passion, your zeal it's very evident when it comes to what you speak and what you do. I feel there is no preparation required, one must know as to what the selection processes is like, what is a psychological test, what are group tasks and the interview. One must be a little aware as to what are the tasks, one has to understand what the purpose of the task are and where does one fit in the task and accordingly act out. If you’re a selfish person, you will look after yourself but if you're team person, that is what we are looking in the Army you'll first help others and then you'll help yourself. So in the interview such situation will be created where in your true character will come out in that 5 days and that is what one looks at and let me tell you even if some percentage of people are able to hood wink their way through which I doubt but the mask will fall soon and people will come to know the true colours and later on it will come out that you were not fit for the Army.
Brigadier where does one search for the vacancies in the Army
Brigadier Pereira: I am aware that there are several sites where one can find this information but my recommendation to all people who are interested in joining the Armed Forces is go to the official sites of the Army Navy Air Force wherein all details of the vacancies available, what are the QRS you need, educational qualifications you need ,what are the physical parameters you need, what are the subjects which will be covered, what is the kind of specialization. All this data is available on the websites and that is the only thing which one must look at and refer to. Preparation is of course individual one can reach out to army or navy or air force officers or retired officers to know as to how the preparation has to be done.
Brigadier how would you motivate young boys and girls from Goa to join the Indian Arm Forces
Brigadier Pereira: I think one of the biggest things which is that you are doing is that by getting us veterans here to speak on this forum is to motivate them to understand what we all have gone through and how and what we have achieved. I think Goans have done pretty well in the armed forces going by the numbers which we have. We have also given a Chief of Army staff General Rodrigues was a Goan. So, if more of us join, I think uh there will be more Goans in the Armed Forces. On motivation I would like to say that if you truly want to lead a different life then you must come to the Armed Forces if you're looking at making money Armed forces is not the right choice. It is not a career option; it is a way of life which we live. If you join the corporate world or anywhere, I happen to be in a corporate world now, only one part of your personality or your character will develop. if you want all around development, if you want to live the life more than normal, that one life which God has given us, I think armed forces is the place to be. So my message to all the Goan girls and the boys is that if you truly believe that there is a call from your heart and the head that you need to join the armed forces then come here otherwise don't come here just looking for a job. think it will be a wrong job.
So what are the benefits do they get after retirement?
Brigadier Pereira: See, benefits wise, I can say that the emoluments and the other pay and allowances which the government gives us is enough and adequate to take care of our requirements. There is not more which is required. Like today I get a pension, it is more than enough for me to do well and live a good quality of life. We have canteen facilities; health facilities are available with empanelled hospitals. So best of health facilities have been provided by the government. And of course, we have the respect of the population, I think that is much more than anything else. I will say that that respect which we get from our brothers and sisters other than those not donning the uniform, makes it all worthwhile and makes the difference for me. That is what matters the most. They respect the service which I have done, and I respect them for the service which they have done for this great nation. There is a lot of respect for the Armed Forces when they are serving and even after their retirement.
What will be a strong message to the young boys and girls from Goa?
Brigadier Pereira: I don't have a big message one. I just have a short one. I will say that believe in yourself. If you believe in yourself, nothing is impossible. I also have a message for the parents, believe in your kids. It is important because most of us parents try to impose our desires and ambition on the kids. So for the parents I will say this, believe in your children, they have it in them, they know what they are doing, guide them, support them. If you make them believe in themselves, I think they will do wonders, whether they join the Armed Force or joined several other professions which are open to them today, they will do well.
Thank you so much, Brigadier. It was nice to have you on our show, and you motivated our youth of Goa to join the armed forces. Thank you so much. And you, viewers, we will bring many such stories, inspiring stories to you. Salaam, Fauji. Thank you.
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