For the first time in the history of Sri Lankan military a Lady Officer along with 5 Airwomen of the Special Air Borne Force (SABF) departed Sri Lanka on 23 February 2019 to receive Security Warfare and Advanced Combat Tactics Training more popularly known as “SWAT”. The training was conducted at the Ground Combat School, Pakistan Air Force Base, Kallar Kahar. The Lady Officer, Flying Officer Vinma Rathnasooriya and the Airwomen were part of an SLAF contingent led by the Commanding Officer of the SABF, Wing Commander Chaminda Herath along with 4 male officers and 9 SABF Airmen. There were course participants from Bangladesh and Zimbabwe as well.

The Lady Officer and Airwomen along with their male counterparts were trained in Weapon Handling, Live Firing, Small Arms and Support Weapons, Tactics, Fighting in Built Up Areas (FIBUA), Air Base Defence aimed at the tactical level for officers and Junior Non-Commissioned Officers and Force Protection.

Flying Officer Rathnasooriya joined the SLAF in the year 2013 with the No 8 Lady Officer Cadet Intake and was commissioned as a Pilot Officer in 2017 as an Administrative Regiment Officer. She is presently serving at the No 45 VIP Wing at Air Force Headquarters. Flying Officer Rathnasooriya is a Special Air Borne Force Officer as well as an Air Force Para Trooper. She is a proud product of Kalutara Balika Vidyalaya and the loving daughter of Mr. Hemachandra Rathnasooriya and Mrs. Somalatha Rathnasooriya.

The Airwomen who underwent training are from the No 28 and No 34 Regular Airwomen Intakes and joined the SLAF in the years 2014 and 2016. They are Operations Ground Trades Women and presently serve at the No 45 VIP Wing at Air Force Headquarters. These airwomen are also this first to have been qualified and inducted in to the Special Air Borne Force of the Sri Lanka Air Force.