Award of trophies to participants in the year’s most colourful Inter Regiment Drill and Band Competition that recognizes multifaceted talents of Army personnel took place this morning (17) at Panagoda Sri Lanka Light Infantry (SLLI) Regiment grounds with pomp and pageantry.
Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya as the Chief Guest witnessed the day’s proceedings with enthusiasm as the colourful Drill Display that testifies to the high standards of discipline, took centre-stage of the programme as the first item on the agenda.
Adding rhythmic and soothing melodies to the occasion, preceded by the Best three Regiments and the Army Band, all the band groups, attired in multi-coloured dresses, then followed and showcased their Band playing talents amidst loud cheering.
In the Inter Regiment Drill Competition, the Sri Lanka Armoured Corps (SLAC) was adjudged the 1st and the Best. 2nd and 3rd places were won by Sri Lanka National Guards (SLNG) and Sri Lanka Engineers (SLE) teams respectively.
The 1st place in the Band Competition, re-began for the first time in the Army after the year 2005, was won by Gajaba Regiment (GR) players while the 2nd and 3rd places, were secured respectively by Sri Lanka Army Service Corps (SLASC) and Sri Lanka Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (SLEME).
In the Women’s sector, 1 Sri Lanka Army Women’s Corps (SLAWC) clinched the 1st place and Captain K.N Abaywickrama, SLAWC was selected as the Best Squadron Commander. Captain M.A.D Bandaranayake of SLAC emerged the Best Drum Commander and Private T.M.M.A Tennakoon of SLLI became the Best Drum Major in the Band Display.
The climax of the day’s events was the presentation of trophies, medals and certificates to the Best teams, Best platoon leaders, both men and women in respective drill platoons and leaders in the Best Band display teams. The Chief Guest gave away those awards to the major winners in the competitions and congratulated each and every one of them.
Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya at the end of the ceremony addressed the gathering after all the awards were given away. Here are excerpts of the Commander’s speech:
“Senior officers, officers and other ranks I am proud to be the Chief Guest at the prize awarding ceremony of the Army Inter Regimental Drill Competition and Band Display in the year 2011.
I would like to extend my praise and respect to all the members of the band display and drill teams of very high standards and also to those who organized the entire event.
Drill ground to a soldier is a sacred place because a recruit will get his first lesson of discipline and from it, gaining proper conduct and humility. Your prowess in drills, an integral component that contributes to the making of a disciplined Army, promotes your ability to work for a unified command. It makes our roles easier.
This display started in 2002 continued up until the year 2005 but battleground requirements in humanitarian operations did not permit us to have it until the year 2010. Army Headquarters in the year 2010 restarted the drill competition.
Army troops are expected to participating state, national and Army ceremonies at all times. You all, through practice and good training received through competitions of this nature, amply demonstrated your talents in the recent Army tattoos, etc. With the expansion of the Army, the need for more drill and band instructors arose. Therefore, the band course with 35 students in Diyatalawa was increased to take 75 and the 40 member-strong drill instructor course, expanded to receive 200 students at Ampara.
Presence of well-trained instructors in each Regiment helps further promotion of the Army image and maintenance of high standards of discipline. More opportunities for such openings have been created. The numbers of senior non commissioned officers attending the advance drill instructor course in UK have also been increased. In the future, each Regiment will receive that opportunity.
You who defended the country’s freedom at the expense of your precious lives are now offered more responsibilities ahead of you for the sake of the country. You will be the forerunner to the development as well as the security of the country and you must be well determined to preserve the Army reputation at all times when you are moving with the civil society for development roles. If any anti-social or anti-disciplinary act is committed, its bad impact affects the entire Army and you should always be conscious of the fact that you are a disciplined soldier in the Army. We should be determined at the expense of our lives to preserve the reputation, Sri Lanka Army has had gained as the most disciplined one in the world. Drill infuses all those qualities and if you become a veteran in it, it will mirror the correct soldiering.
I also take this opportunity to thank all Regimental Commanders, Centre Commandants, Commanding Officers, Other Officers, Senior Non-commissioned Officers, Non-commissioned Officers and Other Ranks for the exemplary contribution, made by everyone in the Army to make today’s display a big success. I also appreciate the assistance given for its success by all the Directorates at Army Headquarters.
Let me also congratulate and add my greetings to all who won in today’s drill and band competitions.
I wish all of you get more and more strength to conduct the next year’s Inter Regimental Drill and Band Competition on a grand scale with very high standards I wish all of you a bright future, Suba Anagathayak”.
Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya as the Chief Guest witnessed the day’s proceedings with enthusiasm as the colourful Drill Display that testifies to the high standards of discipline, took centre-stage of the programme as the first item on the agenda.
Adding rhythmic and soothing melodies to the occasion, preceded by the Best three Regiments and the Army Band, all the band groups, attired in multi-coloured dresses, then followed and showcased their Band playing talents amidst loud cheering.
In the Inter Regiment Drill Competition, the Sri Lanka Armoured Corps (SLAC) was adjudged the 1st and the Best. 2nd and 3rd places were won by Sri Lanka National Guards (SLNG) and Sri Lanka Engineers (SLE) teams respectively.
The 1st place in the Band Competition, re-began for the first time in the Army after the year 2005, was won by Gajaba Regiment (GR) players while the 2nd and 3rd places, were secured respectively by Sri Lanka Army Service Corps (SLASC) and Sri Lanka Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (SLEME).
In the Women’s sector, 1 Sri Lanka Army Women’s Corps (SLAWC) clinched the 1st place and Captain K.N Abaywickrama, SLAWC was selected as the Best Squadron Commander. Captain M.A.D Bandaranayake of SLAC emerged the Best Drum Commander and Private T.M.M.A Tennakoon of SLLI became the Best Drum Major in the Band Display.
The climax of the day’s events was the presentation of trophies, medals and certificates to the Best teams, Best platoon leaders, both men and women in respective drill platoons and leaders in the Best Band display teams. The Chief Guest gave away those awards to the major winners in the competitions and congratulated each and every one of them.
Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya at the end of the ceremony addressed the gathering after all the awards were given away. Here are excerpts of the Commander’s speech:
“Senior officers, officers and other ranks I am proud to be the Chief Guest at the prize awarding ceremony of the Army Inter Regimental Drill Competition and Band Display in the year 2011.
I would like to extend my praise and respect to all the members of the band display and drill teams of very high standards and also to those who organized the entire event.
Drill ground to a soldier is a sacred place because a recruit will get his first lesson of discipline and from it, gaining proper conduct and humility. Your prowess in drills, an integral component that contributes to the making of a disciplined Army, promotes your ability to work for a unified command. It makes our roles easier.
This display started in 2002 continued up until the year 2005 but battleground requirements in humanitarian operations did not permit us to have it until the year 2010. Army Headquarters in the year 2010 restarted the drill competition.
Army troops are expected to participating state, national and Army ceremonies at all times. You all, through practice and good training received through competitions of this nature, amply demonstrated your talents in the recent Army tattoos, etc. With the expansion of the Army, the need for more drill and band instructors arose. Therefore, the band course with 35 students in Diyatalawa was increased to take 75 and the 40 member-strong drill instructor course, expanded to receive 200 students at Ampara.
Presence of well-trained instructors in each Regiment helps further promotion of the Army image and maintenance of high standards of discipline. More opportunities for such openings have been created. The numbers of senior non commissioned officers attending the advance drill instructor course in UK have also been increased. In the future, each Regiment will receive that opportunity.
You who defended the country’s freedom at the expense of your precious lives are now offered more responsibilities ahead of you for the sake of the country. You will be the forerunner to the development as well as the security of the country and you must be well determined to preserve the Army reputation at all times when you are moving with the civil society for development roles. If any anti-social or anti-disciplinary act is committed, its bad impact affects the entire Army and you should always be conscious of the fact that you are a disciplined soldier in the Army. We should be determined at the expense of our lives to preserve the reputation, Sri Lanka Army has had gained as the most disciplined one in the world. Drill infuses all those qualities and if you become a veteran in it, it will mirror the correct soldiering.
I also take this opportunity to thank all Regimental Commanders, Centre Commandants, Commanding Officers, Other Officers, Senior Non-commissioned Officers, Non-commissioned Officers and Other Ranks for the exemplary contribution, made by everyone in the Army to make today’s display a big success. I also appreciate the assistance given for its success by all the Directorates at Army Headquarters.
Let me also congratulate and add my greetings to all who won in today’s drill and band competitions.
I wish all of you get more and more strength to conduct the next year’s Inter Regimental Drill and Band Competition on a grand scale with very high standards I wish all of you a bright future, Suba Anagathayak”.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
