Cherish Mathson
{{Short description|Indian Army officer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2023}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2023}}
{{Infobox military person
| honorific_prefix = Lieutenant General
| name = Cherish Mathson
| honorific_suffix = PVSM, SM, VSM
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| image = File:Cherish Mathson GOC.jpg
| image_size = 200px
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| allegiance = {{IND}}
| branch = {{army|India}}
| serviceyears = June 1980 – 31 August 2019
| rank = 22px Lieutenant General
| servicenumber = IC-38722
| unit = Garhwal Rifles
| commands = 20px South Western Army
XXI Corps
Special Frontier Force
54th Infantry Division
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| awards = 20px Param Vishisht Seva Medal
20px Sena Medal
20px Vishisht Seva Medal
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Lieutenant General Cherish Mathson, PVSM, SM, VSM is a retired officer of the Indian Army who served as General Officer-Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C), South Western Command. He assumed office on 1 August 2017 taking over from Lt General Abhay Krishna, and was succeeded by Lt General Alok Singh Kler on 1 September 2019.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2017/aug/02/lt-gen-cherish-mathson-takes-over-armys-south-western-command-1637128.html|title=Lt Gen Cherish Mathson takes over Army's South Western Command|work=The New Indian Express|access-date=2017-10-07|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171007121715/http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2017/aug/02/lt-gen-cherish-mathson-takes-over-armys-south-western-command-1637128.html|archive-date=2017-10-07}}{{Cite web|url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=169489|title=Press Information Bureau|access-date=2017-10-07|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171007121246/http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=169489|archive-date=2017-10-07}}{{cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/sapta-shakti-command-chief-mathson-retires/articleshow/70929699.cms|title=Sapta Shakti Command chief Cherish Mathson retires|date=2019-09-01}}{{cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/kler-is-new-chief-of-sapta-shakti-command/articleshow/70940397.cms|title=Kler is new chief of Sapta Shakti Command|date=2019-09-01}}
Early life and education
Mathson is an alumnus of Sainik School, Kazhakootam and the Defence Services Staff College in Wellington. He has also attended Senior Command Course at Army War College, Mhow, the Long Defence Management Course at the College of Defence Management, Secunderabad and the National Defence College, New Delhi.{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Thiruvananthapuram/new-sw-army-head-is-sainik-school-alumnus/article19398741.ece|title=New SW Army head is Sainik School alumnus|date=2017-08-01|work=The Hindu|access-date=2017-10-07|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170828013826/http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Thiruvananthapuram/new-sw-army-head-is-sainik-school-alumnus/article19398741.ece|archive-date=2017-08-28}}
Career
Mathson was commissioned into Garhwal Rifles in June 1980. He has vast experience in rural and urban insurgencies and has served two tenures in Siachen Glacier, in Operation Blue Star, in Mizoram against the Mizo National Front (MNF) and as a UN observer in Somalia.
He has commanded a battalion on the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir during Operation Parakram, the Trivandrum Brigade in an amphibious Role, the 54th Infantry Division in the Southern Command, Inspector General of the Special Frontier Force and the XXI Corps in Bhopal.
He has also held staff positions including Deputy Assistant Quarter Master General Operations (DAQMG) of an Independent Infantry Brigade, Colonel Administration (Col Adm) of a Mountain Division, Brigadier Administration (Brig Adm) of the XII Corps, Deputy Technical Manager (Land Systems) in Army HQ, Senior Defence Specialist (Military) in the National Security Council Secretariat and in the Defence Acquisition Wing (Ministry of Defence).{{Cite web|url=http://thehitavada.com/Encyc/2017/2/14/Patron-Cup-competition-held-at-Army-Golf-Course.aspx|title=Patron Cup competition held at Army Golf Course|website=thehitavada.com|access-date=2017-10-07|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171007115949/http://thehitavada.com/Encyc/2017/2/14/Patron-Cup-competition-held-at-Army-Golf-Course.aspx|archive-date=2017-10-07}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.dailypioneer.com/state-editions/bhopal/lt-gen-cherish-mathson-takes-over-sudarshan-chakras-command.html|title=cherish-mathson-takes-over-sudarshan-chakras-command.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161005113959/http://www.dailypioneer.com/state-editions/bhopal/lt-gen-cherish-mathson-takes-over-sudarshan-chakras-command.html|archive-date=2016-10-05|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=http://thehitavada.com/Encyc/2017/7/2/Lt-General-Ghuman-takes-command-of-Sudarshan-Chakra-Corps.aspx|title=Lt General Ghuman takes command of Sudarshan Chakra Corps|website=thehitavada.com|access-date=2017-10-07|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170821002706/http://thehitavada.com/Encyc/2017/7/2/Lt-General-Ghuman-takes-command-of-Sudarshan-Chakra-Corps.aspx|archive-date=2017-08-21}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.topnews.in/conservation-coral-reef-lakshadweep-2144038|title=Conservation of coral reef in Lakshadweep {{!}} TopNews|website=www.topnews.in|language=en|access-date=2017-10-07}} He was also the Colonel of the Regiment of Garhwal Rifles.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/thiruvananthapuram/2018/may/07/lt-gen-cherish-mathson-appointed-colonel-of-regiment-of-garhwal-rifles-1811124.html|title=Lt Gen Cherish Mathson appointed Colonel of Regiment of Garhwal Rifles|work=The New Indian Express|access-date=2018-05-11}}
During his career, he has been awarded the Sena Medal, the Vishist Seva Medal in 2010 {{Cite web|url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=57292|title=Press Information Bureau|access-date=2017-10-07|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171007120827/http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=57292|archive-date=2017-10-07}} and the Param Vishisht Seva Medal in 2018.{{cite web|title=390 Republic Day Gallantry and Other Defence Decorations Announced|url=http://www.pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1517875}}
Honours and decorations
| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Sena_Medal_ribbon.svg|width=106}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Vishisht Seva Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND Samanya Seva medal.svg|width=106}} |
| {{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND Special Service Medal Ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND_Siachen_Glacier_Medal_Ribbon.svg|width=106}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND_Operation_Vijay_medal.svg|width=106}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND Operation Parakram medal.svg|width=106}} |
| {{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND Sainya Seva Medal Ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND High Altitude Medal Ribbon.svg|width=106}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND Videsh Seva Medal Ribbon.svg|width=106}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND 50th Anniversary Independence medal.svg|width=106}} |
| {{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND 30 Years Long Service Ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND 20YearsServiceMedalRibbon.svg|width=106}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND 9YearsServiceMedalRibbon.svg|width=106}} |
| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;" |
| Param Vishisht Seva Medal |
| Special Service Medal |
| Sainya Seva Medal |
| 30 Years Long Service Medal |
Dates of rank
References
{{Reflist}}{{s-start}}
{{s-mil}}{{Succession box
| title = General Officer-Commanding-in-Chief South Western Command
| years = 1 August 2017 – 31 August 2019
| before = Abhay Krishna
| after = Alok Singh Kler
}}
{{succession box
| title = General Officer Commanding XXI Corps
| years = 1 July 2016 – 30 June 2017
| before = Pradeep Singh Mehta
| after = Iqroop Singh Ghuman
}}
{{succession box
| title = General Officer Commanding 54th Infantry Division
| years = 2012 - 2013
| before = Amit Sharma
| after = R K Jagga
}}
{{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mathson, Cherish}}
Category:Recipients of the Vishisht Seva Medal
Category:Recipients of the Sena Medal
Category:Recipients of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:National Defence College, India alumni