12th October 2022 15:00:10 Hours
A group of 146 Officers and Other Ranks of all battalions of the Mechanized Infantry Regiment (MIR) who participated in the live firing training sessions at Kalpitiya Field Firing Range for 4 days continuously passed out on Friday (30) during a simple ceremony.
Those live firing sessions, organized by the Mechanized Infantry Training Centre (MITC) at Periyathampanai, Vavuniya for the second time after absence of about 7 years enabled participants in the Young Officers’ Course (2022), Tank Commanders’ Course, Course Attendees in the Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC) Gun Operator Course and selected officers and other ranks of the MIR to receive a full exposure, prior to being deployed for United Nations Peace Keeping Operations in Mali.
They participated in live firing training sessions with the help of two BMP MK II armoured vehicles, two T 89 VPI armoured vehicles, one WMZ 551B armoured vehicle, 30 mm canon guns, 12.7 mm Anti Air Craft Missiles (AAMG type QJC 88) and 7.62 mm PKT weapons.
The training programme, launched on the instructions of the MIR Brigade Commander, Brigadier Kavinda Balasooriya, was closely supervised by the Commandant, MITC, Colonel Nalin Prabath. The Chief Instructor at MITC, Major Jeevan Ranasinghe closely coordinated the training programme.
This was the first instance those 146 participants took part in a live firing session of this magnitude after they joined the Sri Lanka Army.
