Shaliza Dhami is an officer in the Indian Air Force. In March 2023, she made headlines when she became the first woman officer to command the Indian Air Force’s forward-line missile squadron deployed along the Line of Control (LOC).
Wiki/Biography
Shaliza Dhami was born in 1982 in Ludhiana, Punjab, India (41 years old; as of 2023). After completing her high school education from Government High School, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, she attended Khalsa Women’s College where she completed her 11th and 12th classes. Thereafter, she obtained a bachelor’s degree in electronics and communications engineering from the same institute. During her graduation, she joined the Air Force of the National Cadet Corps (NCC). There, she attended many training camps organized by NCC and learned how to fly a glider. While serving as a cadet in NCC, she joined the IAF after being inspired by her mentor PP Singh. In an interview, her parents said of the incident:
What made all the difference was her decision to join the Air Wing of the National Cadet Corps (NCC). Her mentor PP Singh from the IAF inspired her to give it a try and never looked back. The NCC played a key role in her life and decision to join the IAF. We never stopped her from attending NCC camps held at different locations. She had enjoyed and learned a lot at the NCC training camp. “
After completing her formal education, she joined the Air Force Academy in Dundigal, Telangana.
appearance
Height (approximately): 5′ 5″
Hair color: black
Eye color: dark brown
family
Parents and siblings
Her father Harkesh Dhami is a retired employee of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL). Her mother Dev Kumari is a retired water supply and sanitation department official. Her brother Sarvsureshth Dhami is a professor of defense studies at a university in Imphal, Manipur.
Photos of Sarissa’s parents
husband and children
Her husband Vineet Joshi is a Wing Commander in the Indian Air Force (IAF). The couple has two sons.
Profession
In 2003, she made her first solo flight in a HAL HPT-32 Deepak while undergoing training at the Air Force Academy, Dundigal, Telangana. After completing the training module, Shaliza Dhami was commissioned as a Short Service Officer in the Helicopter Wing of the Indian Air Force on December 20, 2003.
Shaliza Dhami (far left) with fellow Indian Air Force female officers
She became a Flight Lieutenant on December 20, 2005. She was promoted to squadron leader on December 20, 2009. On December 20, 2016, she was promoted to wing commander. Thereafter, she attended a flying instructor school in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, where she became a qualified instructor, becoming India’s first female flying instructor. On December 18, 2018, she became the first woman officer in the Indian Air Force to receive permanent commission. In August 2019, she was posted to the Hinton Air Force Base in Ghaziabad as the Flight Commander of the Chetak Helicopter Unit, becoming the first female officer to hold this position.
Shaliza Dhami at Hinton Air Force Base
Thereafter, she was posted to the operations wing of the Indian Air Force’s forward headquarters. Promoted to captain on December 20, 2019; Shaliza is one of the few female officers of the Indian Air Force to be selected as a group captain. In March 2023, Shaliza Dhami became the first female officer to command a missile squadron of the Indian Air Force’s combat force deployed on the India-Pakistan border. As of March 2023, Shaliza has approximately 2,800 hours of helicopter flight time.
Facts/Trivia
- Shaliza Dhami is affectionately called Babbal by her parents.
- Although Salissa was pressured to attend a convent school, her father sent her to a public school. Talking about this incident, her father said in an interview:
I owned a bicycle at that time. Children who study in convent schools are driven there by their parents in fancy cars. I decided to send my kids to a school where regular kids like me go. If I let her into a convent, she might develop an inferiority complex. So, we admitted her to a public school. Look where she got to today. “
- Saliza Dhami has been awarded the Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force’s Commendation Card twice.
- She played hockey at school and developed a keen interest in dancing and painting.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education