Vij served as the major general , General Staff at the Western Command in Chandimandir , Chandigarh ( Punjab ) and during the 1999 Kargil War , he served as the Director General Military Operations ( DGMO ) . During this time he was criticized for appearing , in his professional capacity before a group of senior BJP leaders , and briefing them . In 1999 , he broke the military tradition to brief members of the Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP ) on operations in Kargil . when he was director general of military operations . For his services as the DGMO , he was awarded the Uttam Yudh Seva Medal . He was involved was the planning and execution of Operation Khukri – to extricate trapped Indian peacekeeping troops in Sierra Leone . The formations he has commanded include a mountain brigade involved in active counter-insurgency operations in the north east , an elite RAPID ( Reorganised Army Plains Infantry Division ) unit , the 1 Strike Corps based at Bhopal , Madhya Pradesh and the IV Corps based at Tezpur , Assam . He is also a recipient of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal ( PVSM ) . On 1 October 2000 , Vij was appointed as the GOC of Southern Command at Pune and led the army 's rescue efforts during the 2001 Gujarat earthquake . In October 2001 , he was appointed as the Vice Chief of Army Staff ( VCOAS ) at New Delhi and in January 2002 , he was appointed as the 10th Colonel of the Dogra Regiment and the Dogra Scouts . He was appointed as the Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee ( COSC ) on 1 January 2005 . He is married to Rita Vij and they have a son , Nalin , who is a software engineer in the United States . General Vij retired on 31 January 2005 , after completing more than 42 years service
2001 Gujarat earthquake
2001 Gujarat earthquake
Nirmal Chander Vij