157 'Maroon Berets' join Commando Regiment
February 20, 2022A batch of 157 Commandos of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) was adorned with their prestigious insignia and 'maroon berets' at Uva-Kudaoya Commando Regiment Training School (CRTS) yesterday (Feb 19) during a passing-out parade graced by Chief of Defence Staff and Army Commander Gen. Shavendra Silva as the Chief Guest.
The batch includes 13 officers and 144 soldiers with their sustained and exceptional training for 18 months specialized in amphibious landings, parachuting or abseiling and exceptionally distinctive in taking unconventional high-value targets as one more elite special operations unit of the Sri Lanka Army, the SLA sources said.
Colonel of the Regiment, Commando Regiment Maj. Gen. Krishantha Gnanaratne warmly received the Chief Guest who afterwards reviewed the parade and received the salute presented by those graduates.
Parents and next of kin of passing out Commandos pinned prestigious Commando insignia on those brave sons and afterwards, the graduated were awarded the uniquely-suited 'Maroon Berets', symbolic of the particular identity, authority and full-fledged professionalism, the SLA stated.
'Maroon Berets' signifies that the soldier wearing it belongs to an elite strategic force, designed to perform special operations in nature at strategic level, to protect the constitutional order of Sri Lanka both in wartime and peacetime while carrying out air, land or water-based specialized operations which most of them are highly and unfailingly classified, the SLA also stated.
During the presentation of trophies and certificates, the Award for the Best Commando and the Best Shooter of the 18-month-long Commando training course Course was presented to Lt. T. M. C. M. B Thennakoon while the Best Physical Award was awarded to 2nd Lt. C. L Jayathunga, the SLA added.
Invitees, Veterans, Senior Officers including Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Vikum Liyanage, Officers and a gathering of Other Ranks were present at the day's Passing Out Parade.
