Chief of Army Staff in Nepal Army Welcomed to the Headquarters with Military Honours

General Rajendra Chhetri, Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) of the Nepal Army who just arrived in Sri Lanka accepting a friendly invitation of his Sri Lankan counterpart, Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake, called at the Army Headquarters this morning (18) to pay courtesies to his host, Commander of the Army as the first segment of his five-day long itinerary here.

Formal military ceremonials, including a Guard Turnout followed by a Guard of Honour saluted the visiting COAS of Nepal Army soon after he reached the Army Headquarters complex, to be first received by the Commanding Officer of the Headquarters Battalion and the Adjutant General in conformity with military traditions. In the company of the Parade Commander, the Nepal Army Chief reviewed the Guard of Honour, presented to him before the salute was taken.

At the foyer to the Commander's Secretariat, Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake warmly welcomed his Nepal counterpart and introduced all Principal Staff Officers in the Sri Lanka Army to the visiting military head.

A few minutes later, formal discussions between both Army Chiefs ensued at the Commander's Office. In addition to General Rajendra Chhetri and Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake, Major General Ishwar Hamal, accompanying Mid Eastern Division Commander of the Nepal Army was also present during the interactive meeting at the Commander's Office.

Both of them during their talks touched on general matters, related to nation-building roles in both armies, disaster response techniques to match with any large scale catastrophes, national disasters, etc and cooperation on training opportunities and bilateral defence ties. The visiting COAS also spoke high of the emergency relief work carried out by the Sri Lanka Army in Katmandu when their country was badly affected in a devastating earthquake. Making a special remark, General Rajendra Chhetri recalled historic ties that his country has been maintaining with Sri Lanka after birth of the Enlightened One in Lumbini and praised Sri Lanka's timely support when Nepal was threatened with that colossal earthquake a couple of years ago.

Towards the culmination of the talks, both Army Chiefs, together with visiting Nepal Army Officers and Sri Lanka Army Officers added memories to the occasion by taking a group photo soon after both military heads exchanged mementos as symbols of goodwill and understanding at the Commander's Office.

Before his exit to meet Commanders of the Air Force and the Navy as per the day's agenda, General Rajendra Chhetri left his memories and compliments in the VIP book at the Commander's Office in the Army Headquarters.

During his stay in Sri Lanka, General Rajendra Chhetri is scheduled to pay courtesy calls on HE the President, Hon. Prime Minister, Secretary Defence and visit Security Force Headquarters - Mullaittivu and the 22 Division Headquarters in Trincomalee where military ceremonials would welcome him.

The visiting Nepalese delegation is comprised of the spouse of the COAS, Mrs Rita Chhetri, Mid Eastern Div Commander, Major General Ishwar Hamal, Deputy Military Assistant to the COAS, Colonel Anup Jung Thapa, Lieutenant Colonel Rajaram Badnet, Staff Officer, Lieutenant Sreya Rayamajhi, Aide-de-Camp, Warrant Officer II, Brinda Thapa and a few other civil members.

Here follows General Rajendra Chhetri’s profile;

General Rajendra Chhetri, the Chief of the Army Staff of the Nepalese Army, was born on 15 November 1960 in the Himalayan foothills of Chok Chisapani VDC, Tanahun District. General Chhetri is the second son of late Colonel Gopal Bahadur Khatri Chhetri and Mrs. Pramila Khatri Chhetri.

Commissioned into the Rajdal (Artillery) Battalion in 1978 from the then Royal Nepalese Military Academy, Kharipati; General Chhetri is a qualified Paratrooper who has undergone several professional trainings both in Nepal and abroad. In this regard, he has undergone Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare Training, Junior Staff, Company Commander and Battalion Commander Courses in Nepal; and Field Artillery and Air Defense Artillery training from countries such as India, Pakistan and China. He is a graduate of the Command and General Staff College, Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas, USA (1992) and United States Army War College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania (2010). Gen Chhetri is also a qualified Psychological Testing Officer from the Defense Institute of Psychological Research, New Delhi, India. He has attended executive programs from Near East and South Asia, NDU, USA and Naval Post Graduate School, Monterey USA. He was part of General Gaurav Shumsher JBR (Retd)’s delegation team which visited Maldives and Sri Lanka in 2014.

He has served in the United Nations as a Platoon Commander in Lebanon in 1985, as a Military Observer in Afghanistan and Pakistan from 1988 to 1989, as a Zone II Operations Officer in Haiti in 1995; and as a Strategic Planning Officer of the Military Division of Department of Peacekeeping Operations at the United Nations HQ, New York from 2002 to 2005.

Gen Chhetri has 39 years of military experience, with service during both peace and conflict, at home and abroad. He has commanded No.4 Air Defense Battery, Jagadal (Air Defense) Battalion, No. 7 (Infantry) Brigade, No.3 (Infantry) Brigade and Mid Division as GOC.

Gen Chhetri has also held key staff billets at all levels, including as Brigade Major of No. 1 Brigade and Assistant Chief of Staff (Operations) of Mid Division HQ. At Army HQ, he has served in the Research and Development Directorate, Inspector General Department, Operations Branch, Military Secretary Branch, as Director of Recruiting and Selections and as Military Assistant to Chief of the Army Staff. He has also served in the National Security Council Secretariat as an analyst. He has recently completed tenures as Quarter Master General, Director General of Military Training, Chief of Staff and Chief of General Staff at Army HQ. General Chhetri was appointed as the Chief of the Army Staff on 10 September, 2015 and was conferred the Honorary Rank of General of the Indian Army on 3 February, 2016. He has been honoured with, Prasiddha Prabal Janasewa Shree, Sukritimaya Rastradeep, Prakhyat Trishakti Patta, Prabal Gorkha Dakshin Bahu, four UN Medals and Army Achievement Medals from the USA.

General Chhetri holds two Masters Degrees- Masters in History from Tribhuwan University, Nepal and Masters in Strategic Studies from the US Army War College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania. He is married to Mrs. Rita Chhetri and the couple is blessed with two sons, Abhishek and Abhushan; two daughters-in- law, Vidisha and Ashmita; and grandchildren, Aryani, Samashrita and Arihant.