Wing Commander Deepika Misra receives the Gallantry Award as the first woman IAF officer

The first female Air Force officer to get a gallantry medal is Wing Commander Deepika Misra. At an investiture ceremony held in New Delhi on Thursday, she was presented with the Vayu Seva Medal for valour by the President, who had already awarded it to her on Independence Day the previous year.

In reaction to the flash floods that occurred in northern Madhya Pradesh in August 2021, Wing Commander Deepika Mishra was assigned to carry out humanitarian assistance and disaster relief activities. She was the first and only respondent to arrive in the impacted location that evening despite poor weather, heavy gusts, and the approaching dusk time. She contributed to the saving of 47 lives.