In a coincidence of two worlds colliding, a Royal Australian Air Force member reconnected with a familiar face during Exercise Tarang Shakti 24.
Leading Aircraftman Parveen Panwar reunited with childhood friend and Indian Air Force colleague Corporal Akash Bhandari in Jodhpur.
The pair met in their formative school years in Dehradun (Uttarakhand). Their friendship grew and they remained close friends until Leading Aircraftman Panwar's move to Australia in 2015.
Destined to meet almost a decade on, both now as serving members of two top-tier security partners.
"It was a wonderful experience to reconnect with Akash, who is stationed here in Jodhpur," Leading Aircraftman Panwar said.
"We've kept in touch, but seeing him in person and sharing the experience of an international exercise was incredible.
"It's amazing to see how our lives have evolved."
Posted to RAAF Base Amberley, 10,000km from where he grew up, Leading Aircraftman Panwar enlisted in the RAAF as a structural technician in 2021.
Manufacturing, installing and repairing mechanical components of state-of-the-art aircraft, Leading Aircraftman Panwar deployed to India to support the three EA-18G Growlers involved in Tarang Shakti.
The exercise was one for the history books as it was the first of its kind for the Indian Air Force, which included eight participating and 18 observing nations.
