Indian Military Training Team



The Indian Military Training Team (Also known as IMTRAT) is a training mission of the Indian Army in Bhutan. The IMTRAT is responsible for the training of the personnel of the Royal Bhutan Army (RBA) and the Royal Bodyguard of Bhutan (RBG). It is the oldest training team sent outside India to a friendly-foreign nation. The IMTRAT is headquartered at Haa Dzong in Western Bhutan.

History
In May 1961, Government of India sent a team of military officers and men on a reconnaissance mission to Bhutan. The team was led by BGS XXXIII Corps, Brigadier J S Aurora (later Lieutenant General and Eastern Army Commander during Indo-Pakistani War of 1971).

On 20 July 1962, Colonel B N Upadhyay (later Brigadier) of the 9th Gorkha Rifles took over as the First Commandant of IMTRAT. His initial team had about 15 Officers.

The Wangchuk Lo Dzong Military School (WLDMS) was raised on 16 October 1962 and commenced training with 22 officer cadets and 49 non-commissioned officers.

Commandant
The office of the Commandant was held by an Officer of the rank of Colonel. The post was later upgraded to Brigadier. Currently, the Commandant is a Two Star appointment. Bhutan does not have a Minister for Defence. The Commandant of IMTRAT acts as an informal advisor to the King of Bhutan, who is the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Bhutan Army.

Establishments
Apart from the WLDMS, IMTRAT runs the Indo Bhutan Friendship Hospital (IBFH). The IBFH was established in 1970 and was inaugurated by the then Commandant Major General T V Jeganathan, PVSM, AVSM. IMTRAT also runs a mobile clinic at Haa. The Indian Army also maintains a detachment in the capital city of Thimphu.