Lakhbinder Singh Lidder

Early life and education Born into a military family, Lidder - then still Singh - completed his studies at the Kendriya Vidyalaya in Mhow, where he was a brilliant student. After passing the exam for the National Defence Academy (NDA) on his first attempt, he joined the 77th course of the NDA in January 1987 and was assigned to the academy's India Squadron. From 1992 to 1995, he served in the Kashmir Valley as a company commander and his battalion's adjutant, During his posting, he played a key role in coordinating and directing his battalion's operations, He also received the Chief of Army Staff's Commendation Card and the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief's Commendation Card for his services,

Lidder was subsequently posted to the NDA as a squadron commander, followed by appointment as an adjutant at the Indian Military Academy. he adopted his surname of "Lidder" in 2003 while stationed at the NDA. During this period, he completed the Staff Course and the Higher Command Course, receiving promotion to lieutenant-colonel on 16 December 2004. He then commanded his battalion in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as a part of the United Nations MONUSCO peacekeeping force, serving in an Indian Army brigade commanded by then-Brigadier Bipin Rawat. He served as the defence attaché in the embassy in Kazakhstan before receiving promotion to brigadier on 20 September 2017 (seniority from 1 November 2015), and being given command of a brigade in Himachal Pradesh on the Indo-Tibetan border. A frequent writer and defence analyst, Lidder published a number of articles on Indian and regional military developments, including for the Centre for Land Warfare Studies. he joined Rawat's staff that year. The crash site was 10 km from the flight's intended destination. Apart from Group Captain Varun Singh, who was an instructor at the DSSC, all of the persons aboard the flight were killed; of those, only the bodies of General Rawat, his wife and Lidder could be readily identified.

Along with those of the others killed in the crash, Lidder's body was flown to Palam Air Base in Delhi on 9 December. He was cremated with full military honours at the Brar Square crematorium in Delhi Cantonment at 9:00 a.m. on 10 December 2021.

Decorations