NEW DELHI: The government’s appointment of Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth as the next Chief of the Army Staff has added another chapter to a long tradition of military families whose members have risen to the highest ranks of India’s armed forces.For Lieutenant General Krishna Mohan Seth, the announcement would have been a particularly proud moment. His son, Dhiraj Seth, is set to take over as the Army chief, while his younger son, Rear Admiral Ravnish Seth, serves in the Indian Navy. The family’s military legacy runs deep: both father and son commanded the Bhopal-based 21 Corps, one of the Army’s key strike formations.The Seths are not alone. The history of India’s armed forces is replete with families that have produced senior military leaders across generations, with several fathers and sons even commanding the same formations.The tradition can be traced back to independent India’s first Commander-in-Chief, General (later Field Marshal) Kodandera Madappa Cariappa. His son, Air Marshal Krishnaswamy Cariappa, went on to become one of the Indian Air Force‘s most distinguished officers and eventually commanded the South Western Air Command.Air Marshal Cariappa’s career is remembered for a dramatic episode during the 1965 India-Pakistan war, when his Hunter aircraft was shot down over Pakistan and he was taken prisoner. Then Pakistani president Ayub Khan reportedly offered to release him as a special gesture to his father. Field Marshal Cariappa famously declined, saying, “The POWs are all my sons. Look after them well.”Another prominent example is General Ved Prakash Malik, who led the Army during the 1999 Kargil conflict. His son, Major General Sachin Malik, is a serving officer in the Indian Army. Both father and son commanded the prestigious 8th Mountain Division.India’s first Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat, also followed a path laid down by his father, Lieutenant General Lakshman Singh Rawat. Significantly, both officers commanded the 19 Infantry Division based in Baramulla, a formation that has long played a critical role in operations in Jammu and Kashmir.Bihar Governor Lieutenant General Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd. ), one of the Army’s most respected counter-insurgency commanders and a former chief of the Srinagar-based 15 Corps, is the son of Major General Syed Mahdi Hasnain.Military legacies are not confined to the Army. Vice Admiral Sanjay Jasjit Singh, who commanded the Western Fleet during Operation Sindoor, is the son of Air Commodore Jasjit Singh, a decorated fighter pilot who received the Vir Chakra for gallantry during the 1971 war and was later awarded the Padma Bhushan.Similarly, Admiral Madhvendra Singh, who served as Chief of the Naval Staff from 2001 to 2004, was the son of Major General K Bhagwati Singh.This aspect of the armed forces reflect a rich legacy, where successive generations have risen to senior leadership roles across the Army, Navy, and Air Force. Several officers have followed similar career paths, often commanding the same formations as their parent. This pattern highlights the enduring culture of service and professional excellence that shapes the higher ranks of the military.