General Gurung assumes office as the NA chief

KATHMANDU, Sept 9: In his capacity as the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Nepal Army (NA), President Dr Ram Baran Yadav conferred insignia on General Chhatraman Singh Gurung and appointed him as the new Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) on Wednesday. [break]

The president appointed Gurung as per the Article 144 (2) of the Interim Constitution of Nepal and on the basis of the cabinet´s recommendation on August 26.

Present during the occasion held at the President´s official residence in Shital Niwas were Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, Deputy Prime Minister Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar, Defense Minister Bidya Devi Bhandari, chief secretary, senior government officials and chiefs of security agencies.

Meanwhile, CoAS Gurung received guard of honor at a ceremony in NA headquarters, a press release issued by the Directorate of Public Relations of NA said.

Gurung´s bio-sketch.

Born on July 18, 1952 in Pulimarang Village of Tanahun district to the late Iman Singh Gurung and Ima Devi Gurung, General Chhatra Man Singh Gurung joined the NA in the year 1971 and received his commission from the Indian Military Academy. A graduate of Command and General Staff College, Leavenworth, USA, he is an alumnus of the National Defense University, China. He holds a Bachelors degree from the Tribhuvan University and is a highly decorated Military Officer.

During his military career, he has undertaken several military professional courses at home and abroad. Besides career courses, he specializes in Mountain Warfare & Para Basic Course from Nepal and Commando, Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare, Junior Command and Senior Command Course from India.

He successfully commanded the Gorakh Box Independent Infantry Company, the Shamsher Dal Infantry Battalion, and Sixth Brigade. He has earned himself a reputation as a training strategist, which is reflected by his assignments as instructor of the Army School, High Altitude and Mountain Warfare School and as the commandant of the Recruit Training Center. Upon his promotion as a Brigadier General, he was appointed as a Brigade Commander of the only Special Forces Brigade and then went on to command an Infantry Brigade. As a Division Commander, General Gurung planned and led the counter-insurgency operations in the volatile Mid-Western region of Nepal. His important staff appointments include Director of Research and Development and Director of Military Training in the Army HQ. He also served as the Quarter Master General. As a Lt Gen, he served as the Chief of the General Staff and Chief of Staff.

Gurung served as the Operations Staff Officer, Chief Military Personnel Officer and Chief of Staff in UNIFIL, Lebanon. He also holds the distinction of serving as the Military Attaché of Nepal to the UK and France.