Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra (retd), who headed the vital Western Air Command (WAC) during Operation Sindoor last year, has been appointed the first Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust in Ayodhya.WAC has key air bases at Adampur, Halwara, Pathankot, Ambala, Chandigarh, Leh, Srinagar, Bathinda, Hindon and Sirsa, among others. These bases are located across Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Uttar Pradesh.Air Marshal Mishra served as the WAC chief from January 1, 2025, until his retirement on April 30, 2026. Under his command were fighter aircraft such as the Rafale, Sukhoi and MiG-29, as well as Apache attack helicopters, a large transport fleet and S-400 air defence missile systems.The post of CEO of the Ram temple was filled through an invitation for applications.Air Marshal Mishra was commissioned into the Indian Air Force (IAF) as a fighter pilot in December 1986. He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Pune; Air Force Test Pilots School, Bengaluru; Air Command and Staff College, USA; and Royal College of Defence Studies, UK. A Fighter Combat Leader and an experimental test pilot, Air Marshal Mishra has more than 3,000 hours of flying experience.In a service career spanning more than 38 years, the Air Marshal commanded a fighter squadron at Tezpur, Assam. He also served as Chief Test Pilot at Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE) in Bengaluru. In the rank of Air Commodore, he commanded two frontline air bases — one at Pathankot and the other at Bareilly.Air Marshal Mishra has served as IAF’s Director of Operational Planning and Assessment, Principal Director and Assistant Chief of Air Staff.In the tri-services organisation, he served as Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (Operations).Air Marshal Mishra is a recipient of the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal.