General Jagath Jayasuriya, Commander of the Army who completes four years in office on Monday (July 15) as the 19th Commander of the Army, paid obeisance to Triple Gem at Hunupitiya Gangaramaya Temple in accordance with Buddhist traditions, rites and rituals.
Ven. Galaboda Gnanissara Nayake Thero, Incumbent, Gangaramaya, together with members of the Maha Sangha, invoked blessings on General Jayasuriya after he was conducted to the shrine and other places of worship before chanting of Seth Pirith blessed him. The Army Chief offered flowers and Pirikara to the Maha Sangha soon after the Bodhi Pooja was concluded.
General Jagath Jayasuriya took the reins of the office of Commander of the Army on 15th July 2009, just two months after the Armed Forces, wiped out terrorism from the soil of Sri Lanka. He was serving at that time as the Security Force Commander - Wanni, holding the rank of Major General before he was promoted to be Lieutenant General in his capacity as the Army Commander.
During his tenure of office, he managed to successfully overcome a number of professional challenges at both organizational and national levels since the Army after 30-year long war, remained thoroughly exhausted, necessitating a complete and fresh transformation to suit peacetime requirements.
At the same time, national commitment for the country’s speedy and rejuvenated development and reconstruction, warranted the Army’s active and indispensable participation, particularly in the war-ravaged north and east of the country, for which General Jayasuriya as the Army Chief threw his weight behind and succeeded in effectively mobilizing his troops to be in line with the government’s ongoing ‘Uthuru Wasanthaya’ and ‘Negenahira Navodaya’ development projects.
One of the milestones in his tenure was his unswerving dedication for promotion of much-needed welfare among soldiers who had by then dedicated their entire youth for defence of the country. His regard for family members of fallen War Heroes as well as his touch with those disable warriors, resulted in establishment of a number of state-of-the-art relief centers and launch of many a holiday resort of different ilk. Of them, the unique conceptualized wellness resorts (Abimansala), meant to provide lifetime care for all provincial dependent disable War Heroes at Anuradhapura and Kamburupitiya, said to be the firsts in the whole of the world, etch on our memory for generations to come because of their unique nature and its noble service.
Similarly, War Hero house construction projects and award of scholarships to War Hero children, overwhelmingly backed by Seva Vanitha Army Branch (SVAB) ladies, added further weight and significance to diverse welfare projects. In addition, the Commander braved to make several other structural changes to the overall composition of the Army, enabling it to further enhance the gamut of welfare benefits.
General Jayasuriya, providing the best of his Army’s contribution to the national cultivation programmes, was also instrumental in establishing the organization’s first Directorate of Agriculture and Livestock (2011), responsible for management of mega farm projects, either owned or being run by the Army.
In the sphere of Army training, General Jayasuriya leaves an indelible mark with establishment of several new academic and training centres in the organization, expanding the horizons of military professionalism further, to suit fast-changing global trends. Officer Career Development Centre at Buttala, Army Training Command (ARTRAC) at Diyatalawa are among a few, to name.
His personal interest and diplomacy, oriented towards promotion of training opportunities brought a number of dividends to the organization, including new overseas openings from China and Pakistan. Similarly, General Jayasuriya as the Commander received overseas financial assistance for new constructions in Diyatalawa in response to his personal requests.
General Jayasuriya took an enormous interest constructing holiday resorts for all ranks in the Army. In addition to provincial holiday resorts, he initiated constructing and renovating Army-owned large holiday hotels at Kukuleganga, Wadduwa and Yala while rebranding them later under ‘Laya Group’, enabling them to enter competitive markets in the hospitality industry.
Likewise, General Jayasuriya with unstinted support of the Secretary Defence and the Government has almost completed construction of pre-fabricated structures for all Army camps in the north and east, facilitating hundreds of troops serving under scorched sun.
Heaping no burden on the government, the ‘Brave Hearts’ project of the Army, to his credit, bears the entire costs of those wellness resorts and so is the case to be with the newest one, ‘Abimansala - 3’ still under construction at Pangolla, Kurunegala. The ten-storied new Military Hospital at Narahenpita, to be opened shortly, will also serve a monumental achievement during his office.
General Jayasuriya, a keen sportsman, himself and an international referee for Boxing extended his support for promotion of sports talents among all ranks in the Army throughout his stay. A number of Army personnel outshone in different games in the past few years, bringing both national and international accolades and recognition to the organization. In addition, many Army sportsmen produced new Sri Lankan records in athletics too.
Ven. Galaboda Gnanissara Nayake Thero, Incumbent, Gangaramaya, together with members of the Maha Sangha, invoked blessings on General Jayasuriya after he was conducted to the shrine and other places of worship before chanting of Seth Pirith blessed him. The Army Chief offered flowers and Pirikara to the Maha Sangha soon after the Bodhi Pooja was concluded.
General Jagath Jayasuriya took the reins of the office of Commander of the Army on 15th July 2009, just two months after the Armed Forces, wiped out terrorism from the soil of Sri Lanka. He was serving at that time as the Security Force Commander - Wanni, holding the rank of Major General before he was promoted to be Lieutenant General in his capacity as the Army Commander.
During his tenure of office, he managed to successfully overcome a number of professional challenges at both organizational and national levels since the Army after 30-year long war, remained thoroughly exhausted, necessitating a complete and fresh transformation to suit peacetime requirements.
At the same time, national commitment for the country’s speedy and rejuvenated development and reconstruction, warranted the Army’s active and indispensable participation, particularly in the war-ravaged north and east of the country, for which General Jayasuriya as the Army Chief threw his weight behind and succeeded in effectively mobilizing his troops to be in line with the government’s ongoing ‘Uthuru Wasanthaya’ and ‘Negenahira Navodaya’ development projects.
One of the milestones in his tenure was his unswerving dedication for promotion of much-needed welfare among soldiers who had by then dedicated their entire youth for defence of the country. His regard for family members of fallen War Heroes as well as his touch with those disable warriors, resulted in establishment of a number of state-of-the-art relief centers and launch of many a holiday resort of different ilk. Of them, the unique conceptualized wellness resorts (Abimansala), meant to provide lifetime care for all provincial dependent disable War Heroes at Anuradhapura and Kamburupitiya, said to be the firsts in the whole of the world, etch on our memory for generations to come because of their unique nature and its noble service.
Similarly, War Hero house construction projects and award of scholarships to War Hero children, overwhelmingly backed by Seva Vanitha Army Branch (SVAB) ladies, added further weight and significance to diverse welfare projects. In addition, the Commander braved to make several other structural changes to the overall composition of the Army, enabling it to further enhance the gamut of welfare benefits.
General Jayasuriya, providing the best of his Army’s contribution to the national cultivation programmes, was also instrumental in establishing the organization’s first Directorate of Agriculture and Livestock (2011), responsible for management of mega farm projects, either owned or being run by the Army.
In the sphere of Army training, General Jayasuriya leaves an indelible mark with establishment of several new academic and training centres in the organization, expanding the horizons of military professionalism further, to suit fast-changing global trends. Officer Career Development Centre at Buttala, Army Training Command (ARTRAC) at Diyatalawa are among a few, to name.
His personal interest and diplomacy, oriented towards promotion of training opportunities brought a number of dividends to the organization, including new overseas openings from China and Pakistan. Similarly, General Jayasuriya as the Commander received overseas financial assistance for new constructions in Diyatalawa in response to his personal requests.
General Jayasuriya took an enormous interest constructing holiday resorts for all ranks in the Army. In addition to provincial holiday resorts, he initiated constructing and renovating Army-owned large holiday hotels at Kukuleganga, Wadduwa and Yala while rebranding them later under ‘Laya Group’, enabling them to enter competitive markets in the hospitality industry.
Likewise, General Jayasuriya with unstinted support of the Secretary Defence and the Government has almost completed construction of pre-fabricated structures for all Army camps in the north and east, facilitating hundreds of troops serving under scorched sun.
Heaping no burden on the government, the ‘Brave Hearts’ project of the Army, to his credit, bears the entire costs of those wellness resorts and so is the case to be with the newest one, ‘Abimansala - 3’ still under construction at Pangolla, Kurunegala. The ten-storied new Military Hospital at Narahenpita, to be opened shortly, will also serve a monumental achievement during his office.
General Jayasuriya, a keen sportsman, himself and an international referee for Boxing extended his support for promotion of sports talents among all ranks in the Army throughout his stay. A number of Army personnel outshone in different games in the past few years, bringing both national and international accolades and recognition to the organization. In addition, many Army sportsmen produced new Sri Lankan records in athletics too.
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