We owe so much to the Indian Army. They are the reason we sleep peacefully at night, a perfect example of bravery. But there’s still so much we don’t know about our men of steel.
The highest combat zone on planet earth, Siachen glacier is one place where fewer soldiers have died on the line duty due to enemy fire than because of the harsh weather conditions. It is the highest battleground on the earth and the minimum temperature in the region can dip to -50 Degree Celsius or -140 Degree Fahrenheit in winters.
But even if human bodies refuse to work normally in these harsh conditions, our soldiers with their human bodies do not. They toil on, day after day, guarding the highest battlefield with the will to protect it from the enemy.
Following are some facts about Siachen, 5000 metres above sea level, world’s highest battlefield and the difficult conditions that our soldiers work in.
#1 Because the weather is very unpredictable, there is no telling when the next resupply helicopter might come.
Fresh food is something which never reaches our soldiers. At the altitude of 5,400 metres fruits like apple and oranges freeze like a rock in no time.
#2 In Siachen, you are at the risk of getting a deadly frostbite if your bare skin touches steel (gun trigger, for example) for just over fifteen seconds.
Merely touching the trigger or gun barrel with bare hands can be a mistake big enough to result in loss of toes or fingers.
#3 On bad days, there is zero visibility.
Our soldiers are always present at this location, whether it is a good climate or bad.
#4 Mountain climbers climb when the weather is at its best; soldiers serve in these treacherous terrains all year round.
#5 Snowstorms in Siachen can last 3 weeks.
Winds here can cross the 100 mph limit in no time. The temperature can drop well below minus 60 degrees.
#6 Due to continuous use of oxygen masks, our soldiers often suffer from problems of hearing, eyesight and memory loss.
#7 There are no beds for the soldiers to sleep on.
#8 Since last 30 years, 846 soldiers have been killed at Siachen.
The Indian Army has made criteria that any soldier who dies at Siachen because of extreme cold climate and adverse conditions will be treated as battle casualties.
#9 Soldiers get to call home once a week for just two minutes.
#10 Something as basic as water too doesn’t come easily to our soldiers.
They melt ice on stoves to obtain drinking water. Machine guns are dipped in boiling water to keep them from jamming.
#11 Each soldier carries 30 kilos of load at all times
#12 Soldiers find ways to entertain themselves when they can. After all, a cricket crazy nation.
#13 You can get a sunburn and a frostbite at the same times.
#14 A War Memorial at the Bank of Nubra River has the names of Indian soldiers who laid their lives in Siachen.
#15 In Siachen, the Indian Army spends as much as 80% of its time preparing soldiers of deployment.
#16 When a person retains for a long time at such place, numerous health issues occur.
At such high altitude, physical problems like weight loss, sleeping disorder, memory loss, arises.