Maj. Gen. Chrishantha de Silva - new Army Commander

Major General Chrishantha de Silva was appointed as the new Army Commander by President Maitripala Sirisena. He is due to assume duties on Monday as the 21st Commander of the Sri Lanka Army, military spokesman Jayanath Jayaweera told the Sunday Observer.

He is due to be promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General by the President with his assuming of duties on Monday. He succeeds Daya Ratnayaka who was promoted to the rank of Four Star General after he relinquished duties as Army Commander yesterday at army headquarters.

Lt. General Ratnayaka at a function held yesterday at the Defence Ministry handed over the symbolic Sword and Baton to his successor, Major General A.W.J.C. De Silva after reviewing the guard of honour which is a new inclusion in army history. Major General A.W.J.C De Silva joined the Sri Lanka Army as a cadet officer in 1980 and served in many areas including operational areas.

He was awarded a number of medals including the Rana Wickrama Padakkama.

An old boy of Royal College, Chrishntha de Silva enlisted to the Army on February 6 1980 and was commissioned to the Field Engineers Regiment Corps of Sri Lanka Engineers as a second Lieutenant on July 18 ,1981, he was promoted to the rank of Major General in 2009.

Major General Silva who counts more than 33 years of distinguished service in the Army, took office as the Chief of Staff on August 1, 2013 before he went on an overseas appointment in Moscow.

Major General De Silva who has wide-ranging experience in various command, staff and instructional appointments, commanded the Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force (SLAVF) prior to being elevated to the post of Chief of Staff on August 1 2013, in which office he served until May 2014. He then took office in May 2014 as Deputy Chief of Mission at the embassy of Sri Lanka in Moscow.

He was the Security Forces Headquarters Commander, Kilinochchi and served as the Military Secretary (January 2010-July 2010) and Director Operations at Army Headquarters, Commandant and Chief Instructor of the Army Command and Staff College and the Sri Lanka Military Academy at Diyatalawa, Additional Military Secretary and Brigadier General Staff.Security.

He is also a graduate of the Army Command and Staff College Camberley,UK, Higher Command College Nanjing, China and the National Resilience Institute (Lembaga Ketahanan Nasional, the equivalent of the National Defence University of Indonesia.

Major General De Silva, more popularly known as ‘Crishanthe’ among his associates, is married to Nayana and is the father of twin boys.

- RW