21/06/2025
Remembering and the bravery and sheer grit of young officers and soldiers who led India to victory against impossible odds
In the summer of 1999, Bravo Company of 13 JAK RIF was tasked with a critical assault: the capture of Point 5140, a strategic peak overlooking the Srinagar–Leh highway.
Leading from the front was LT. SANJEEV SINGH JAMWAL, Vir Chakra — code name Sangram — a young officer known for his quiet resolve and fierce courage. After a hard-fought battle, he led his boys to victory. He was promoted to Captain on the battlefield by the legendary Commanding Officer, “Ask Joe”.
Weeks later, now Capt Jamwal led his men again. This time at Point 4875, scaling a sheer 500-metre cliff under cover of darkness. Midway through the assault, he called for a halt to Indian artillery fire. The message was intercepted by the enemy. They were waiting. He pressed on anyway and after a tough battle recaptured the peak along with Capt Vikram Batra.
In the chaos, when a soldier beside him lost a hand, Capt Jamwal dragged him behind cover, bandaged the wound, held him through the pain and fear, then picked up his rifle and rejoined the fight.
An alumnus of Sainik School Sujanpur Tihra and the NDA, Jamwal honoured his roots when the ridge was taken. His voice rang out: “O Ya Ya!” which is the Hunter Squadron war cry from his academy days. A signal of triumph that echoed across the Ops Room..
A third-generation Army officer — son, grandson, and nephew of soldiers, runs deep in his blood. His elder son now prepares to don the uniform.
Today, Colonel Jamwal still serves with quiet dignity. The war lives on in memory. So does the legacy.
