Lt. Gen Gurdeep Singh on Thursday took over as the Chief of Staff, Western Command, the defence ministry said. He has relieved Lt. Gen Venugopal Menon.Lt. Gen Gurdeep Singh was commissioned into the Kumaon Regiment in June 1977. An alumnus of the National Defence Academy and the Indian Military Academy, he has a distinguished career spanning more than 38 years.During this period, he held various command, staff and instructional appointments in Western, Eastern and Northen Commands.The officer successfully commanded an infantry battalion in Jammu and Kashmir including Siachen Glacier. He commanded an infantry brigade and infantry division with varied operational roles in Jammu and Kashmir.