SLAF Drill Instructors Qualify as 'White Belt' Drill Instructors
3:25pm on Monday 10th August 2020
For centuries, marching in formation has been a ceremonial military tradition. From the majestic parades of Bastille Day in France to the British Trooping of the Colour, the disciplined adherence to military drill has captivated people. The SLAF also boasts of a highly colourful history of Drill and ceremonials. Drill Instructors from the Sri Lanka Air Force, after following overseas training in India and Bangladesh qualified as “White Belt” Drill instructors today (6 August 2020). The significance of these Airmen being qualified to proudly wear the “White Belt” is the fact that the SLAF did not have a “White Belt” Drill Instructor from December 2018 onwards.
On the instructions of the Commander of the Air Force, Air Marshal Sumangala Dias and under the guidance of the Director Ground Operations, Air Vice Marshal Leonard Rodrigo, 4 Sergeants and a Corporal were sent to India and Bangladesh to follow Drill Instructor Training in order to fulfill the requirement of “White Belt” Drill Instructors in the SLAF.
The nominees for this rare opportunity was selected from those Airmen who had excelled in performance during the local Drill Instructors Course conducted at the SLAF Combat Training School in Diyatalawa. Sergeant Bandara SGWK, Sergeant Jayaratne, Sergeant Kumara RMA, Sergeant Priyantha RDN and Corporal Herath HMSB were the five selected Drill Instructors who have now earned the right to wear the “White Belt”.
Out of the five (5) Airmen, three (3) airmen received their training at the Bangladesh Air Force Academy in Chittagong while the other two Airmen were trained at the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun. The training in India was conducted over a period of 48 working days while the training in Bangladesh was conducted for 9 months. Sergeant Kumara RMA who followed the training in India was adjudged the Best in Drill, Best Student and well as Best Foreign All Rounder.
These newly trained Airmen will be posted to Air Force Headquarters, Air Force Academy China Bay, SLAF Combat Training School Diyatalawa and the SLAF Colour Wing at Katunayake with this intension of further improving the Drill and Ceremonial capabilities of the Sri Lanka Air Force.
On the instructions of the Commander of the Air Force, Air Marshal Sumangala Dias and under the guidance of the Director Ground Operations, Air Vice Marshal Leonard Rodrigo, 4 Sergeants and a Corporal were sent to India and Bangladesh to follow Drill Instructor Training in order to fulfill the requirement of “White Belt” Drill Instructors in the SLAF.
The nominees for this rare opportunity was selected from those Airmen who had excelled in performance during the local Drill Instructors Course conducted at the SLAF Combat Training School in Diyatalawa. Sergeant Bandara SGWK, Sergeant Jayaratne, Sergeant Kumara RMA, Sergeant Priyantha RDN and Corporal Herath HMSB were the five selected Drill Instructors who have now earned the right to wear the “White Belt”.
Out of the five (5) Airmen, three (3) airmen received their training at the Bangladesh Air Force Academy in Chittagong while the other two Airmen were trained at the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun. The training in India was conducted over a period of 48 working days while the training in Bangladesh was conducted for 9 months. Sergeant Kumara RMA who followed the training in India was adjudged the Best in Drill, Best Student and well as Best Foreign All Rounder.
These newly trained Airmen will be posted to Air Force Headquarters, Air Force Academy China Bay, SLAF Combat Training School Diyatalawa and the SLAF Colour Wing at Katunayake with this intension of further improving the Drill and Ceremonial capabilities of the Sri Lanka Air Force.
