Vir Chakra (VrC)

Alan Deepak Gardner was deployed in Sri Lanka as part of the Indian Peace Keeping Force. He was commanding a company of Infantry Battalion which was advancing along axis Palali- Kondavil Jaffna. On 12 October, his company came under heavy mortar and machine gun fire from three directions. Seeing a militant's medium machine gun detachment open fire from a nearby building, Major Gardner ordered one of his platoons to attack. The attack did not succeed due to heavy resistance. Major Gardner, unmindful of danger, sneaked into the building with his Sahayak and two-thirds of his men. He charged up to the first floor, lobbed a grenade into the fortification and silenced the militants' medium machine guns all by himself; thus saving precious lives. In the process, Major Gardner was hit by a militant bullet in his leg, but undeterred, accomplished his task.

Major Alan Deepak Gardner displayed conspicuous courage and valiant leadership in the face of militant's fire.