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Sri Lanka Army

Defender of the Nation

Commander Shares Views With Army Chiefs Attending AUSA Sessions In Washington

Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Daya Ratnayake, now attending the three-day long 60th annual meeting of the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) in Washington, D.C at the invitation of the AUSA, shared views with a couple of top-ranking world-wide military leaders, including the Chief of Staff of the US Army, General Raymond T. Odierno during the formal inaugural ceremony at Walter E. Washington Convention Center on Monday (21).  

The event, attended by top-level military officers of 53 countries, including several Chiefs of Army Staff, consists of professional development presentations of leaders in the Army and Department of Defence, Military and commercial exhibits and focus on welfare of US soldiers and families, Panel discussions on pertinent military and national security subjects and important AUSA business meetings.      

Lieutenant General Daya Ratnayake, representing Sri Lanka Army, is accompanied by Colonel Harendra Ranasinghe, Defence Attaché, Embassy of Sri Lanka in USA and Lieutenant Colonel N. Edirisinghe, Military Assistant.

The AUSA, a private, non-profit organization that has supported soldiers and families of the US Army for more than 60 years, has been supporting these types of forums that bring industry and military together in the US.

Lieutenant General Ratnayake, Commander of the Army, during the inaugural ceremony, had the distinction of exchanging views with General Raymond T. Odierno, Chief of Staff of the US Army, General Sir Peter Wall, Chief of UK Army, General Vincent K Brooks, US Army Pacific Commanding General, Mr John M. McHugh, US Secretary of the Army, Major General Anthony Cucolo, Commandant of the US Army War College and a few more Army Chiefs, attending the sessions.

The ongoing AUSA annual meeting, the largest landpower exposition and professional development forum in North America during the sessions, will dwell on subjects such as ‘The Army after 2020’, ‘Towards a Ready and Resilient Army’, ‘Creating Efficiencies & Synergies’, ‘The Future of Army Leader Development’, ‘Strategic Land Power’, ‘Enhancing North American Security’, ‘Building the Army’s Cyber Future’, etc.

The event towards the end is to award the ‘2013 George Catlett Marshal Medal’, the highest AUSA Award to Dr Robert M. Gates, a former US Secretary of Defence and Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. The presentation will take place on Wednesday (23).