Opportunities for foreign forces personnel

by Ranil Wijayapala

The Defence Services Command and Staff College, Sapugaskanda will expand opportunities for foreign officers outside SAARC countries next year with the enrolment of two officers from China and Sudan for the next course in 2011, Commandant of the College Major General, Niranjan Ranasinghe said.

He said this year five officers from SAARC nations, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Maldives followed the course along with the 75 officers who are to graduate this year from the Defence Services Command and Staff College.

The graduation ceremony of the college will be held on Monday at the Defence Service Command and Staff College, Sapugaskanda with External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris participating as the chief guest.

The first ever woman officer to follow this course in Sri Lanka Group Captain Mary Stella from the Sri Lanka Air Force will also be graduated this year.

Major General Ranasinghe who is to retire from the Army this month after serving as the Commandant of Army Command and Staff College and as the Commandant of the Defence Services Command and Staff College during his 34-years service said the demand for the course from countries outside SAARC region is on the increase now.

"After the completion of war many countries even Western countries and from Asia and those who having large armies want to send their officers to learn counter insurgency measures. But we cannot accommodate all of them because of the limited availability of married quarters", he added.

However, Major General Ranasinghe said that they are building a married quarters complex at the adjoining 11-acre land to accommodate more officers including those who are from foreign countries to follow the course in the coming years.

He said that Staff College in Sapugaskanda will be able to accommodate a maximum of 12 officers from foreign countries once facilities for married quarters are completed by year 2012.

"Next year we can accommodate eight foreign students", he added.

With the expansion of facilities the staff college expects to enrol 120 officers for the 11 and half months residential course including foreign students.

He said with the graduation of the third batch of the Defence Services Command and Staff College, a total of 229 officers from the Army, Navy and the Air Force have graduated from the school.

Out of them 115 officers have received Masters degrees in defence studies from the University of Kelaniya.