COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE ARMED FORCES HONOURS MILITARY OFFICERS WITH “VISHISHTA SEVA VIBUSHANAYA” AND 75TH INDEPENDENCE DAY MEDAL
3:31pm on Thursday 2nd February 2023
President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, Hon. Ranil Wickremesinghe conferred medals on 77 personnel of the armed services yesterday (01 February 2023) at the President’s House in Kandy.
The "Vishishta Seva Vibushanaya "(VSV) was awarded to a selected group of most senior officers from the tri-services and seven officers from the SLAF were honoured. Namely, Air Vice Marshal KAL Ranathunga (Retd) USP, Air Vice Marshal CB Labrooy (Retd) WWV, RSP, USP for the year 2019, Air Vice Marshal RS Biyanwila USP, Air Vice Marshal WMKSP Weerasinghe (Retd) USP for the year 2020 and Air Vice Marshal RAUP Rajapaksa RSP and two Bars, USP, Air Vice Marshal LR Jayaweera USP, and Air Vice Marshal MDJ Wasage (Retd) USP for the year 2021.
The traditional awarding of the newly formed "75th Independence Anniversary Commemoration Medal" to Commander of the Air Force, Air Marshal Sudarshana Pathirana and a group of representative Officers and Other Ranks ensued at the ceremony, which had been the custom for so many years prior to the National Independence Day. The President, Hon. Ranil Wickremesinghe symbolically awarded the honorees with the distinguished medals.
State Minister of Defence, Hon. Premitha Bandara Tennakoon, Chief of Staff of the President and Senior Advisor to the President, Mr. Sagala Ratnayake, Secretary to the President, Mr. E.M.S.B. Ekanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, General Kamal Gunarathne (Retd), Chief of Defence Staff, General Shavendra Silva, Commander of the Air Force, Air Marshal Sudarshana Pathirana, Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Vikum Liyanage, Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Priyantha Perera, and a representative gathering of retired and serving Tri Service Officers attended the ceremony.
The "Vishishta Seva Vibushanaya "(VSV) was awarded to a selected group of most senior officers from the tri-services and seven officers from the SLAF were honoured. Namely, Air Vice Marshal KAL Ranathunga (Retd) USP, Air Vice Marshal CB Labrooy (Retd) WWV, RSP, USP for the year 2019, Air Vice Marshal RS Biyanwila USP, Air Vice Marshal WMKSP Weerasinghe (Retd) USP for the year 2020 and Air Vice Marshal RAUP Rajapaksa RSP and two Bars, USP, Air Vice Marshal LR Jayaweera USP, and Air Vice Marshal MDJ Wasage (Retd) USP for the year 2021.
The traditional awarding of the newly formed "75th Independence Anniversary Commemoration Medal" to Commander of the Air Force, Air Marshal Sudarshana Pathirana and a group of representative Officers and Other Ranks ensued at the ceremony, which had been the custom for so many years prior to the National Independence Day. The President, Hon. Ranil Wickremesinghe symbolically awarded the honorees with the distinguished medals.
State Minister of Defence, Hon. Premitha Bandara Tennakoon, Chief of Staff of the President and Senior Advisor to the President, Mr. Sagala Ratnayake, Secretary to the President, Mr. E.M.S.B. Ekanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, General Kamal Gunarathne (Retd), Chief of Defence Staff, General Shavendra Silva, Commander of the Air Force, Air Marshal Sudarshana Pathirana, Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Vikum Liyanage, Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Priyantha Perera, and a representative gathering of retired and serving Tri Service Officers attended the ceremony.
