Balan R. Ayyar is a retired U.S. Air Force brigadier general and the first Indian American to attain general officer rank in the U.S. Armed Forces. During a distinguished military career spanning more than three decades, he commanded Combined Joint Interagency Task Force 435 in Kabul, served as Military Assistant to the Secretary of Defense, and completed a prestigious White House Fellowship. His promotion marked a milestone for Americans of Indian origin in military leadership and reflected the community’s growing presence at the highest levels of national defense.
