Lt Gen VK Singh today ceremonially took charge as the 26th chief of the 1.13 million-strong Indian Army after his predecessor Gen Deepak Kapoor retired. General Kapoor retired after over four decades of service and would formally cease to be the Army Chief at midnight tonight.<br/><br/>Gen Singh will formally assume his new office tomorrow.He will be the first trained commando to take over as the Army Chief.59-year-old Gen Singh has vast experience in counter-insurgency operations and till lately was the GOC-in-C of Kolkata-based Eastern Command.<br/><br/>He was handed over charge by Gen Kapoor at a ceremony in the South Block in New Delhi.<br/><br/>He comes from the Rajput Regiment and is a graduate of the Wellington-based Defence Services Staff College as well as the US Army War College at Carlisle. He did a Rangers Course at Fort Benning in the US. He was commissioned in June 1970.