Air Chief Marshal Sohail Aman ( RETD) Author of “PAF Compass”
Branch Rickey, an American baseball player once said, “It’s not the honor that you take with you, but the heritage you leave behind.”
Air Chief Marshal Sohail Aman served as twenty first Air Chief of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) from 19 March 2015 to 18th March 2018. He leaves behind a rich legacy that would better serve the future generations of Pakistan Air Force. One day I saw his picture in one of the newspapers of Pakistan where, in uniform, he was sitting at the feet of a mother of a Pilot who had embraced martyrdom in the line of duty. Few days later, I received a video in which the Air Chief Marshal was himself flying in a mission against terrorists entrenched in the mountainous region of North Waziristan. It made me his fan and a desire to meet him emerged in my heart. On the morning of 7th September 2017; Pakistan Air Force Day, after the launch of my book The Last Salute at PAF Base Nur Khan, I came across the Air Chief at a dinner party held to celebrate the Air Force day at the beautiful lawns of the Air Head Quarters mess in Islamabad. My course mate Air Commodore Amjad Bashir introduced me to him and informed him about the book launch from that morning of The Last Salute. I expressed my desire of personally presenting him the book at a time of his convenience. Air Chief Marshal Sohail Aman asked his Personal Staff officer (PSO) Air Commodore Jahangiri to coordinate a meeting. A few days later, I received a call from the PSO who informed me that he had arranged a slot of twenty-five minutes meeting with the Air Marshal. I was also informed that the Chief would himself call to confirm the meeting. After some time I received a telephone call from Air House and was told that the Air Chief would like to talk to me. He was very humble and gave me full protocol of a senior by calling me Sir. Maintaining my seniority, I responded by calling him ‘Chief ’ or using his first name. This is a great tradition of the armed forces that once a senior always re- mains a senior. This seniority is established on the first day of joining your service at the PAF Academy. Air Chief Marshal Sohail Aman belonged to 69th G.D.(P) course and was 5 courses junior to me in the Air Force. We talked for a few minutes where I described The Last Salute and my life after leaving the Pakistan Air Force. He extended the invitation to visit him at the Air House. Upon arrival at the guard room, I was escorted by a Provost Jeep leading ahead with flashing lights on top. After hearing about The Last Salute, the Air Chief said to me; “Sir, since you have penned a book, I would like to present to you a book that I too have written, and I think you would be able to appreciate it as an author.” He handed me a book titled ‘PAF Compass.’ After reading the book, I concluded that PAF Compass is a kind of constitution that can be adjusted by few degrees by reviewing after every three years. A periodic course correction in strategies can be made according to the changing environment. In my opinion this declaration in the document has provided permanence to the manual. Aman explained the idea behind writing this manual: During one of the routine inspection of an Air Base, a young Flight Lieutenant asked the Air Chief Marshal that how it can be assured that policies driven under his command would maintain continuity. Aman’s obvious response was to mention his great team being trained under his command. The young Flight Lieutenant followed up with another question asking, if the Air Chief had done something towards legalising his chain of thoughts. The question stuck in his mind and after returning from inspection, he came up with the idea of introducing PAF Compass as Air Force Manual. Aman instantly captured my attention when he started to explain the logic for using the word compass. The compass installed in an aircraft provides guidance for direction. His idea of producing PAF Compass and installing it as Air Force Manual has made it a legal document of direction for all the PAF personnel to follow for years to come. What surprised me most was his number one topic ‘Value System’ that immediately appeared after the foreword in the Index of the Manual. In his introduction to Values, he relates it to the Islamic values built on character and recounts the Battle of Badar won by the Muslims despite a ratio of 1:3. As a student of philosophy, it wasn’t difficult for me to connect his value system with Ethics, which is a branch of philosophy. The PAF value system after acknowledging the services of its predecessors, revolves around leadership qualities, communication with the under command, respecting merit, promoting respect for martyrs families and retired personnel. The Value system further encompasses moderation in thought and integrity with accountability and austerity. After establishing a value system, the book moves on to nationhood- it can be inculcated by holding mass meetings by the commanders with the personnel under their command and by loudly singing the national anthem. Coordination with other sister forces, helping local governments in calamities, promoting the use of the national language, use of education squadrons in keeping motivated with true Islamic values to its personnel deployed on security duties are some factors described to install nationhood in the organization. It is after forming a solid foundation of values and nationhood that the manual progresses to operational preparedness for the Pakistan Air Force. The manual enforces a responsibility on the commanders to visit once a month the units that are under their command and guide them towards understating the Air Head Quarters policies for war preparedness. The manual further discusses in detail about the importance of developing education and the well-being of its Human Resources. The manual concludes with what I personally deem the most fascinating subject for me. It speaks of providing Empowerment to its personnel. A concept of Centralized
Control and Decentralized execution is introduced. I have practical experience of dealing with the concept by living in North America for over twenty years, but never before had I read it explained in this manner. Centralized Control means provision of direction by the highest level of command under a given set of circumstances. Decentralized execution means that a lower level commander, faced with those circumstances can take an instant decision under the guidelines provided by the highest level of command. I was informed that the Pakistan Air Force had downed a drone entering in her territories. The Air Chief wasn’t asked for clearance of taking it down. The action was executed under clear guidelines provided by the Air Head Quarters. The Air Chief wasn’t informed instantly as the incident took place at an odd hour. He was informed later and there wasn’t any objection as the decision was well within the policies of engagement. This was a different Air Force than the one I left some twenty eight years ago in 1990. The Air Chief, in my opinion has provided the basic philosophy of engagement by introducing the Manual. I was impressed by his short figure with serious deep eyes and humble nature. Out of deep love and respect for him, I placed my arm around his shoulders and whispered, “Sohail, I am using my privilege of the senior.” He smiled in return and gently brought his arm around my back when the photographer clicked our photo together. One of my very senior retired officers raised a serious eyebrow at the picture. My response to him was, “Sir - I would only do it to a person who earned my extreme love and respect from my heart.” This meeting that was scheduled to last only twenty-five minutes actually lasted for about an hour. I wanted to write this article earlier when Aman was still in office, but I held back my thoughts for his retirement that was approaching soon. In my opinion a true tribute is most appropriate when the person walks out of his office of power. I wish all the best to Air Chief Marshal, Sohail Aman (R) and hope to see him in the political arena of Pakistan one day.