Colonel Ponung Doming, an Indian Army officer from Pasighat, Arunachal Pradesh, has been awarded the prestigious Sena Medal (Devotion to Duty) for her outstanding service. She was one of 43 armed forces personnel honored by President Droupadi Murmu for their exemplary dedication.

Born to Olom Doming and Jimmi Dai Doming, Colonel Ponung completed her early education at Government Daying Ering Higher Secondary School and IGJ Government Higher Secondary School in Pasighat. Before embarking on her military career, she worked for two years with L&T in Kolkata. In 2008, she joined the Indian Army after successfully clearing the Service Selection Board and training at the Officers Training Academy in Chennai.

Colonel Ponung currently leads a unit working on the construction of a high-altitude road in Ladakh’s Demchok sector, ensuring vital connectivity to the Fukche military outpost, located just 3 km from the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China. Her unit is also overseeing the upgrade of the Nyoma advanced landing ground, transforming it into a fully operational base for fighter jets.

Notably, Colonel Ponung is the first woman from Arunachal Pradesh to achieve the rank of Colonel in the Indian Army. She also served with the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2014.