Rekha Singh will undergo military training from May 28

Rekha Singh, wife of Lance Naik and Veera Chakra awardee Shahid Deepak Singh, has become a lieutenant in the Indian Army. Rekha Singh chose to pursue a career in the armed forces to carry forward the legacy of her husband, who was killed in a skirmish with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in June 2020. She will start her training in Chennai from May 28.

It was her husband’s dream that pushed her to strive hard to make it to the Indian Army. Rekha Singh was married to Naik Deepak Singh of the 16th Battalion of Bihar Regiment. Deepak Singh was killed in action in the Galwan Valley on June 15, 2020 while fighting Chinese soldiers. For his bravery, Deepak Singh was posthumously awarded the hallowed Vir Chakra by President Ram Nath Kovind.

Rekha and Deepak were just 15 months into the marriage when she received the devastating blow. But the patriotism towards her country drove her to join the Army.

Speaking to India Today, Rekha Singh said, “It was due to the sorrow of my husband's martyrdom and the feeling of patriotism that I made up my mind to leave the job of a teacher and become an officer in the army.”

Recalling the tough days while she prepared for the entrance exam, Rekha Singh said, “But it wasn't easy going to Noida and getting training for the preparation of entrance exam to join the army. Despite taking physical training, I was not successful in the first attempt. But, I did not lose courage and kept on preparing to join the army. The hard work paid off in the second attempt and I have been selected for the rank of lieutenant in the Indian Army.”

The training for the rank of lieutenant in the Indian Army will begin in Chennai from May 28.