Mohit Sharma (soldier)
An Indian Special Forces major whose extraordinary courage in a fierce counter-terrorist firefight earned him the nation's highest peace-time gallantry award.
1978–2009 (age 31)·Indian Army Special Forces Officer·Birthday: January 13·Generation X
Biography
Major Mohit Sharma was the embodiment of the Indian Army's Special Forces ethos: skilled, stealthy, and selfless. An officer in the elite 1st Para (Special Forces), he was a veteran of numerous high-risk operations in Jammu and Kashmir. His final mission in March 2009, near the Line of Control in Kupwara district, defined his legacy. Leading a small team to intercept a group of heavily armed infiltrators, Sharma engaged in an intense, close-quarters battle. Demonstrating tactical brilliance and raw bravery, he repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire to protect his men and eliminate threats. Despite being critically wounded, he continued to direct the operation until he succumbed. His actions ensured the mission's success and the safety of his team, for which he was posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Mohit was born in 1978, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Mohit Was Born
The biggest hits of 1978
#1 Movie
Grease
Best Picture
The Deer Hunter
#1 TV Show
Laverne & Shirley
Mohit's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1978Born
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1983Started school
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1991Became a teenager
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1994Could drive
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
1996Could vote
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
1999Turned 21
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2008Turned 30
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2009Died at 31
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
Key Achievements
- Awarded the Ashoka Chakra, India's highest military decoration for valor during peace-time, posthumously in 2009.
- Successfully led multiple counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations in Jammu and Kashmir as part of the 1st Para SF.
- Recognized with the Sena Medal for gallantry for a previous operation in 2004.
Did You Know?
He was a keen sportsman and represented the Indian Army in boxing and water polo.
The military base at Ghaziabad, where the Parachute Regiment Training Centre is located, has a stadium named in his honor.
Before joining the Army, he was a student at the prestigious National Defence Academy (NDA).
“The mission is the only thing that matters until it's done.”
