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Sri Lanka Army

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Indian Army's Southern Command Chief Arrives Here on Goodwill Visit

General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of India’s Southern Army Command Lieutenant General Ashok Singh PVSM, AVSM, SM, VSM who is also considered as the Army Commander of India’s oldest, largest and one of the finest commands of the Indian Army, ‘Southern Command’, arrived in Sri Lanka Tuesday (18) afternoon on a five-day goodwill visit. 

Lieutenant General Singh’s four-member delegation is comprised of Major General Dewan Rabindranath Soni, Operations Officer, Southern Command Headquarters, Mrs Usha Singh, Regional President, Army Wives Welfare Association, Southern Command, Mrs Suman Soni, the spouse of Major General Soni and expected to call on the Chief of Defence Staff, Commander of the Army, Commander of the Navy, Security Force Commander - Jaffna, Security Force Commander - Wanni and a few other senior officers, during their stay here.

Lieutenant General Singh and his delegation upon arrival, received a warm welcome at the Bandaranaike International Airport, Colombo Tuesday (18) afternoon. 

Major General E.P de Z Abeysekara, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army, on behalf of the Commander of the Army, welcomed him at the airport. Mrs Sandamali Abeysekara, Secretary to the Army Seva Vanitha Unit receive his spouse with a bouquet. 

After he was ushered to the VIP lounge, the visiting India’s Southern Command and his spouse, exchanged greetings with Major General Abeysekara and Mrs Sandamali Abeysekara.

Before their departure to Colombo, the visiting Army Chief signed the VIP Visitors’ Book at the lounge.        

Here is the profile of the visiting General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of India’s Southern Army Command;

Lieutenant General Ashok Singh is an alumni of St Anselm’s Ajmer, National Defence Academy and commissioned into the 7 GUARDS in Dec 1974. He is a second generation officer in 7 GUARDS, his father was the ‘First Commanding Officer’. The General Officer has held many command, staff and instructional assignments and has served in all types of terrain that our country has to offer. He is a graduate of Defence Services Staff College, LDMC, Master of Management Studies from Osmania University and Diploma in Advanced Software Technology.

He commanded his unit 7 GUARDS in Operation ORCHID (Nagaland), where the unit was awarded Chief of Army Staff unit citation and he a VSM. He commanded a Maintenance Brigade on the Line of Control and CI in J&K, where he was awarded SM. He has served as Defence and Military Adviser in High Commission of India, Islamabad, Pakistan from Dec 06 to Jul 09. He was a General Officer Commanding of a RAPID Division in deserts from 02 Sep 09 to 04 Oct 10, during which he was awarded AVSM.

The General Officer was Commander, Junior Command Wing at Army War College Mhow from 05 Oct 10 to 29 May 11, Commanded the prestigious ‘Strike One’ from 30 May 11 to 02 Aug 12 and later posted as Commandant to his ‘Alma Mater’, National Defence Academy, Khadakvasla from 07 Aug 12 to 31 Dec 12. 

The General Officer is now the Army Commander of the oldest and one of the finest commands of the Indian Army ‘The Southern Star’ (Southern Command) with effect from 01 Feb 2013.  He is a recipient of medals, PVSM, AVSM, SM and VSM.