Sapper A sapper, also called a combat engineer, is a combatant or soldier who performs a variety of military engineering duties, such as breaching fortifications, demolitions, bridge-building, laying or clearing minefields, preparing field defenses ...

( Lance Naik) Sangi Reddy Sanjeeva Reddy (also known as Sanjeeva Reddy or Sangi Reddy), SM was a

Non Commissioned Officer A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is an enlisted rank, enlisted leader, petty officer, or in some cases warrant officer, who does not hold a Commission (document), commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority b ...

(NCO) in the

Engineer Regiment Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, build, maintain and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials. They aim to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while consideri ...

of the

Indian Army The Indian Army (IA) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the Land warfare, land-based branch and largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Commander-in-Chief, Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head ...

who posthumously received the

Sena Medal The Sena Medal () is awarded to members of the Indian army, of all ranks, "for such individual acts of exceptional devotion to duty or courage as have special significance for the Army." Awards may be made posthumously and a bar is authorized for ...

, a prestigious gallantry award.

Early life

Sanjeeva Reddy was born in Krishna Shetty Pally village in the Giddaluru Mandal tehsil of

Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (ISO 15919, ISO: , , AP) is a States and union territories of India, state on the East Coast of India, east coast of southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, seventh-largest state and th ...

Prakasam District Prakasam district is one of the twelve districts in the coastal Andhra region of the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It was formed in 1970 and reorganised on 4 April 2022. The headquarters of the district is ...

. He joined the Army after finishing high school and was assigned to the 3rd Battalion of the Corps of Engineers, the Indian Army's ground combat support arm.

North Sikkim Operation

Sapper Sangi Reddy Sanjeeva Reddy's unit 3 Engr Regt was stationed along the Indo-China border in North Sikkim in 2020. The unit's AOR (Area of Responsibility) included distant mountainous territory with harsh weather, particularly during the winter season. The troops were stationed at several forward posts and frequently patrolled the region between the manned positions to keep an eye on the situation. 3 Eng Regt Sapper Sangi Reddy and his mates offered engineering support to troops from other battalions. Heavy snowfall frequently obstructed roads and slowed army movement, necessitating periodic clearing operations. On April 6, 2020, Sapper Sangi Reddy was working with a dozer to clear snow from a road. During the operation, he was struck by a terrifying avalanche. Because of the avalanche's size and speed, he didn't have time to take any protective measures. As a result, Sapper Sangi Reddy became engulfed in snow. More than 250 military personnel, as well as helicopters, tracker dogs, snow avalanche rescue dogs, and other support equipment, were deployed in a large rescue operation. On 11 April 2020, the rescue crew found his body, but he had died due to prolonged exposure to extremely cold temperatures. Sangi Reddy was a courageous and dedicated soldier who gave his life in the course of duty.

Sena Medal

Sapper Reddy was awarded the “

” (gallantry) for bravery, camaraderie, commitment to duty, and ultimate sacrifice by the honourable President of India on January 26, 2021.

References

{{Reflist Year of birth missing 2020 deaths Recipients of the Sena Medal Indian Army personnel 21st-century Indian military personnel Indian military engineers People from Prakasam district