New Army Commander assumes office
August 21, 2019The newly appointed Commander of the Army Lieutenant General L H S C Silva WWV RWP RSP VSV USP ndc psc officially took over duties, during a ceremony held at the Army Headquarters in Colombo, today (21 August 2019).
The new Commander of the Army was greeted with traditional military honours during the ceremony where a large representative gathering of senior officers and other ranks were present. Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva is the 23rd Commander to take reigns of the Sri Lanka Army. He served as the Army Chief of Staff before being appointed to his present position by the President.
Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva was enlisted to the Regular Intake 19 of the Army on 5 March 1984. After successful completion of military training at the Military Academy, he was commissioned on 16th November 1985 and was posted to the Gajaba Regiment.
With an illustrious military career spanning over 35 years, he has held a number of staff, command and diplomatic appointments.
In his military service, he has served as an Officer Instructor in 2005, and later became the Commanding Officer of the Officer Cadet wing of the Sri Lanka Military Academy. He became the youngest Commanding Officer ever produced by the Sri Lanka Army, when he commanded an infantry battalion during “Operation Riviresa”, in 1995 to liberate the Jaffna Peninsula from the clutches of the LTTE. At a very crucial stage of operations against terrorists, he was appointed as the Commander, Air Mobile Brigade by the then Commander of the Army.
In August 2006, he was instrumental in re-capturing the Forward Defence Lines of Muhamalai. Later he commanded the 58 Division along with the Commando Brigade which recorded the highest number of successful achievements during the “Wanni Humanitarian Operation”.
His Division made the longest journey during this operation and fought over 200 kilometers until its final victory and it also conducted the largest ever hostage rescue mission at Puthumathalan liberating over one hundred thousand civilians from the LTTE terrorist. He was also the youngest officer to be promoted to the rank of Major General in the Sri Lanka Army. Subsequently, he commanded the 53 Division, also known as country’s Reserve Strike Force (RSF).
In 2010, he was assigned as the Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations, in New York.
He is an alumni of the Harvard University, USA and is also a graduate of the National Defence College, India. He holds a Diploma in Human Resource Management and was qualified in ‘Psychological Operations’ training in the US. He was also a visiting lecturer at the reputed Marine Corps War College in Quantico, Virginia.
He has been decorated with the Weera Wickrama Vibushanaya (WWV), Rana Wickrama Padakkama (RWP), Rana Soora Padakkama (RSP), Vishishta Seva Vibhushanaya (VSV) and the Uththama Seva Padakkama (USP).
In appreciation of noble service rendered to the Nation, he has been awarded the “Sri Lankeshwara Aparadha Meheyum Visharadha Jothikadhaja Veeraprathapa Deshamanya Jathika Gourawanama Sammana Upadhi Sannas Pathraya”, the “Weera Gajendra Sangramashuri Jathika Gourawanama Sannas Pathraya” and the “Weera Wickrama Deshabhimani Vishwa Keerthi Sri Ranashura” (the most prestigious awards a lay-person could receive) by the tri-sects of the Sri Lankan Buddhist.
He is the author of a book titled “Sri Lankan Identity since 2600 years”, written to mark the 2600th Anniversary of Lord Buddha’s Enlightenment.
Members of the venerable Maha Sangha, religious leaders, senior Army officers and family members were also present at the ceremony held this morning.
