Outgoing Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) General Bipin Rawat has thanked the soldiers and officers of the Indian Army for the support they gave to him during his three-year tenure. General Rawat’s tenure as CoAS ends today and he will take over as country’s first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) on January 1.

“Today as I demit the office of Chief of Army staff, I wish to convey my gratitude to the soldiers, rank and file of Indian Army who have stood steadfast under challenging circumstances,” General Rawat said.

Chief of Army Staff is just a rank. He can’t work alone, it’s the teamwork which makes this office so high profile, he said once again thanking the officers and soldiers of the Indian Army for successful completion of his three-year term. “Thank you, dhanyavad, Jai Hind,” General Rawat signed off.

He also visited the national war memorial and was given a farewell guard of honour.

General Rawat refused to comment on what he plans to do as the CDS. “As Army chief, my focus was on my current assignment. I never thought about anything else. Now that a new assignment has been given to me, I will think about what to do as the Chief of Defence Staff,” he said.

The outgoing Army chief also gave best wishes to his successor Manoj Naravane. “I convey my best wishes to General Naravane who will be assuming the office as the 28th Army chief, for a successful innings. He is a competent officer,” said General Rawat.

Gen Rawat was on Monday appointed India’s first Chief of Defence Staff with a mandate to bring in convergence in functioning of the Army, the Navy and the Indian Air Force and bolster the country’s military prowess.

The United States on Tuesday congratulated General Rawat on his appointment as CDS and said the post will help in “catalyzing greater” joint cooperation between the militaries of the two countries.

“Congrats to Gen. Bipin Rawat @adgpi on his appointment as #India’s first-ever Chief of Defense Staff. The CDS position will help catalyze greater #USIndia “joint” cooperation between our militaries as discussed at recent 2+2, including through joint exercises and info sharing,” tweeted US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary (PDAS) Alice Wells, retweeting US Ambassador Ken Juster’s tweet. 

The Cabinet Committee on Security had, in a landmark decision last week, approved the creation of the CDS who will act as the principal military adviser to the defence minister on all matters relating to tri-services.

A key mandate of the CDS will be to facilitate restructuring of military commands for optimal utilisation of resources by bringing about jointness in operations, including through establishment of joint/theatre commands.

As the CDS, Gen Rawat will also helm the newly created department of military affairs.

A high-level committee set up to examine the gaps in the country’s security system in the wake of the Kargil war in 1999 had called for appointment of a CDS as a single-point military adviser to the defence minister.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the creation of the CDS post in his Independence Day speech this year.