New Delhi: An Indian Army officer has emerged among the top performers at one of the world's leading military education institutions, securing two prestigious academic awards during a leadership course in the United States.

Major Prabhat Mishra was recognised at the graduation ceremony of the Command and General Staff Officer Course (CGSOC) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, after excelling in a programme attended by officers from across the world.

This year's course graduated 951 officers, including 120 international military officers representing 92 countries. Major Mishra was among a small group of officers honoured for outstanding academic achievement during the 10-month programme.

He received the Birrer-Brookes Award for Outstanding Master of Military Arts and Science Thesis and the General Douglas MacArthur Military Leadership Writing Award. The honours recognise excellence in military research, academic writing and leadership studies.

The ceremony also recognised officers from other nations. Major Aleksander Granberg of Norway received the General Dwight D. Eisenhower Award and the Arter-Doniphan Award, while Lieutenant Colonel Taleh SFHH Alrashid of Kuwait was presented the Major General Hans Schlup Award.

Addressing the graduating officers, Lieutenant General Jim Isenhower, Commanding General of the US Army Combined Arms Command and Fort Leavenworth, spoke about the demands of military leadership and the responsibilities officers would carry into future assignments.

He noted that the officers had successfully completed a rigorous academic programme and would now carry those lessons into increasingly complex operational environments.

Attendance at the Command and General Staff Officer Course is typically reserved for selected field-grade officers viewed as future leaders within their respective armed forces. Major Mishra's achievement places him among the highest academic performers of this year's graduating class.

Founded more than a century ago, the Command and General Staff College has trained over 8,700 international military students from nearly 170 countries alongside American officers. The institution focuses on developing leaders capable of operating in complex and rapidly changing security environments.

BI Bureau