Commander Evaluates Mali-Bound Equipment & Health Accessories

Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake, Commander of the Army on Monday (31) with a view to ensuring quality and standards of all Combat Convoy Equipment (CCE), ready to leave for Mali for UN peacekeeping assignments carried out an inspection and a prior assessment as stipulated in the United Nations Department of Peace Keeping Operations (UNDPKO) at the Panagoda Army Cantonment.

This process, technically defined as the Pre-Deployment Visits and Assessment Advisory Visits (PDVAAV) was earlier too adhered to by respective Senior Officers of the Army before the Commander of the Army evaluated equipment on Monday (31).

Major General Sudantha Ranasinghe, Commander, Security Forces – West (SF-West), and Major General Piyal Wickramaratne, Director General General Staff (DGGS) in the Army welcomed the visiting Commander after a drive-past Guard Turnout greeted him at the entrance to the Security Force Headquarters – West.

Afterwards, Brigadier D.T Gamage, Director Plans made a detailed presentation regarding Mali-bound equipment and accessories to the visiting Commander of the Army before he invited the Commander to the inspection site. The lay-out briefing was conducted afterwards by Colonel D.B.C Jayasinghe, Senior Supportive Officer on the inspection site.

Self-Sustain Equipment, Combat Vehicle Equipment, De-mining and Explosive Ordnance Devices and other Logistic equipment that were on display at Panagoda came under the visiting Commander’s close supervision during the inspection tour.

A UN delegation from New York and Mali already in the island to carry out those technical inspections, termed as Pre-Deployment Visits (PDVs) and Assessment Advisory Visits (AAVs) would assume their roles during next couple of days at Panagoda.

Master General Ordnance, Chief Field Engineer, Chief Signal Officer, several Directors and Senior Officers were present during the inspection process at Panagoda.

A few minutes later, the Commander of the Army, along with several Senior Officers made a bee-line to the Colombo Army Hospital at Narahenpita and inspected an assortment of Mali-bound medical equipment, ambulances and scheduled structural arrangements for the Level-I Hospital on display at the Colombo Army Hospital.

Major General Sanjeewa Munasinghe, Director General Army Health Services, together with Brigadier Kamal Sumanapala, Director Army Medical Services, received the Commander of the Army on arrival and conducted him to inspect the medical accessories on display, ready for passage to Mali shortly.

A briefing on the capacity of the Army Health Services educated the Commander of the Army on intended health facilities that would be made available in Mali for his observations. A few minutes later, the Commander had a look at Mali-bound Army ambulances at the vehicle park and shared a few views with Senior Officers.