31st August 2023 19:20:27 Hours
Major General W.T.W.G Ihalage RWP RSP psc ptsc, General Officer Commanding, 58 Infantry Division and Colonel of the Regiment of Special Forces who is to retire from the Army after a landmark career of 34 years was invited this afternoon (31 August) to the office of the Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Vikum Liyanage RWP RSP ndu, together with his family members.
The Army Chief during the cordial interactions spoke high of the dedicated and exemplary commitment of the retiring infantryman of the elite Special Forces (SF) and shared a few reminiscences about operational aspects in the humanitarian operations that freed the country from the vicious cycle of LTTE terrorism.
The Commander of the Army gratefully acknowledging the role of Special Forces as well as their invaluable battlefield gains since its founding commended the retiring Senior Officer’s pivotal role in the development of his regiment. The Army Chief also inquired about his future plans, prospects and wished him good luck with his future endeavours.
While sharing a few pleasantries with the retiring Major General W.T.W.G Ihalage RWP RSP psc ptsc, the Army Chief also did not forget to share a couple of thoughts with his wife and two children who were present at the office. He also did not fail to mention the support that the retiree’s family members have given the outgoing officer in the performance of his challenging roles.
The Commander of the Army was exceptionally pleased to speak to the elder son of the reputed infantryman, Major General W.T.W.G Ihalage RWP RSP psc ptsc, who is now a Second Lieutenant in the Special Forces Regiment while following the basic Special Forces Course at Maduruoya Special Forces Training School. The Army Chief extended best wishes to the budding officer and wanted him to be groomed to be a distinguished military leader of the Army in the future.
Major General W.T.W.G Ihalage RWP RSP psc ptsc also, in turn, thanked the Commander of the Army for his wishes and effective guidance while mentioning the encouragement he received during his tenure of service in the organization.
Towards the end of the interactions, Lieutenant General Vikum Liyanage awarded a special memento to the outgoing retiree as a symbol of appreciation and commendation along with a special gift to the family.
Here follows a brief profile of the retiring Senior Officer;
Major General W.T.W.G Ihalage RWP RSP psc ptsc was enlisted in the Regular Force of the Sri Lanka Army as an Officer Cadet on 14 July 1989. Upon successful completion of military training at the Sri Lanka Military Academy, Diyatalawa, he was commissioned in the rank of Second Lieutenant and posted to the Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment on 19 January 1991. Subsequently, the Senior Officer was transferred to the Special Forces (SF) on 01 February 1991 after its founding. After being steadily elevated to subsequent ranks in the span of his service in the Army, he was promoted to the rank of Major General on 03 August 2022.
Major General W.T.W.G Ihalage RWP RSP psc ptsc, being a dedicated infantryman has been decorated with the Rana Wickrama Padakkama (RWP) and Rana Sura Padakkama (RSP) for his excellent display of bravery in the face of the enemy.
He has been holding the Office of the General Officer Commanding, 58 Infantry Division and Colonel of the Regiment of Special Force at the time of his retirement. He also held the appointments of Group Commander of 1 SF, Officer Commanding of Combat Rider Squadron, 1st Regiment Special Forces, Second-In-Command of 1 SF, Brigade Major of Special Forces Brigade, Staff Officer of United Nations Stabilisation Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), Commanding Officer of 1 SF, Commanding Officer of 2 SF, Commandant of Special Forces Jungle Warfare Training School, General Staff Officer I (Local Training) at Directorate of Training, Senior Instructor at Officer Career Development Centre, Chief of Staff of Regimental Centre Special Forces, Deputy Centre Commandant of Regimental Centre Special Forces, Colonel General Staff of Security Force Headquarters (East), Dean - Faculty of Defence and Strategic Studies General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, Officiating Commander of Special Forces Brigade, Commandant of Marksmanship and Sniper Training School and Overlooking Commander of 1 Corps.
He has followed many local and foreign courses during his military career, such as Special Forces Basic Course, Basic Intelligence Course, Officers’ Operational Staff Duties Course, Army Command and Staff Course, Unit Administration Course, Combat Rider Course, Incident Command System for Disaster Management Course, United Nation Civil-Military Coordination Officers’ Course, Sports Administrators Course, Global Peace Operations Initiative Peacekeeping Operations Instructors’ Course, Gender Perspectives in United Nations Peacekeeping Operations Course, Commando Course - India, Basic Parachute Course - India, Infantry Young Officers’ Course - Pakistan, Mid-Career Course - Pakistan, Senior Command Course- India, Defence Services Technical Staff Course- India, Train of Trainer on Gender in Peacekeeping Operations Course- Malaysia and Defence Services Technical Staff Course (Army)- India.
The Senior Officer has followed a number of non-military courses, such as Master of Science in Management (Defence Studies) at General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, Master in Development Studies at the University of Colombo, Master of Science in Military Technology at Savitribai Phule Pune University in India.
