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Graduation Ceremony of No 50 Junior Command and Staff Course

The Graduation Ceremony of No 50 Junior Command and Staff Course was held at the Astra Cinema Hall at Sri Lanka Air Force Academy China Bay on 08 April 2016. The Commander of Sri Lanka Air Force, Air Marshal GP Bulathsinghala RWP, RSP, VSV, USP, M Phil (Def & Strat Stu), MSc (Def Stu) in Mgt, FIM (SL), ndc, psc graced the occasion as the chief guest.

Graduation ceremony Marked the end of 14 week Course and a total of 16 officers in  the ranks of Squadron Leader and Flight Lieutenant  from  Sri Lanka Air Force, 04  officers in the ranks of Lieutenant Commander from  Sri Lanka Navy, and one officer of the Bangladesh Air Force followed the course.

The Junior Commanders Course is accredited by the Kothalawala Defence University and the Officers those who fulfill the required criteria will be awarded with a Post Graduate Diploma in Defence Management.

This 14 weeks course is a full time residential course with all compulsory modules suited to fulfill the command and staff duties requirements of the Sri Lanka Air Force. As an adult education programme, the course is conducted on knowledge sharing basis where the course participants are expected to actively seek out knowledge under the guidance of the directing staff as well as visiting lecturers.  

The course participants carry out an independent research and submit a research paper to the Kothalawala Defence University. The course curriculum is also designed to promote the development of English and IT skills. Great emphasis is also laid on the development of public speaking skills.

The course participants are also taken on  few study tours arranged  by the college  to selected outside organizations in order to provide them with an overview of various management challenges that may confront them and to identify the ways and means to meet them.

Physical fitness is also an important part of the curriculum and a regular programme of physical fitness training and organized games are included to ensure not only that the course participants maintain their fitness during the course but also to encourage them to make it a routine part of their lives.  
 
The following officers received special awards at the Graduation Ceremony.

Best All Round Officer
Sqn Ldr  KRS Kalalpitiya (Log)

Non SLAF Best All Round Officer
Sqn Ldr  MD Fazle Shashin Haque (GD/P - BAF)

Best Book Review
Sqn Ldr SMND Senarathne (Tech Eng)

Best Sportsman
Sqn Ldr DMADB Dambakotuwa (Ad/Reg)

Excellence in Management Studies

Sqn Ldr  GRAPCL Hewapathirana (Tech Eng)

Best in Public Speaking
Sqn Ldr  MD Fazle Shashin Haque (GD/P - BAF)

Best in Academics
Sqn Ldr  KRS Kalalpitiya (Log)