VIR First to Receive President's Colours After War; President Rajapaksa Says Not Surprised with 'Surprise Attacks'
Sri Lanka Army’s Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment (VIR), one of the most renowned and recognized regiments, comprised of veteran infantrymen of the best quality and standards, received another notable feather in its cap when the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, HE the President Mahinda Rajapaksa, for the first time after culmination of Wanni battles, conferred most admired President’s Colours and Regimental Colours on it during a ceremony at Kurunegala.........
HE the President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the First Lady Mrs Shiranthi Rajapaksa currently in Ampara in connection with the ‘Deyata Kirula-2013’ National Development Exhibition, attaching a symbolic importance and preference to the tri-service stalls, viewed the Army exhibits with keen interest and enthusiasm on Sunday (24), the second day after the ceremonial opening. Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya, Commander of the Army welcoming the Commander-in-Chief .........
Just hours before HE the President declares open the 7th ‘Deyata Kirula-2013’ mega development exhibition that mirrors Sri Lanka’s post-conflict development project, Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya, Commander of the Army inspected the Army exhibits and related arrangements at Ampara exhibition site Saturday (23) morning.Sri Lanka Army........
A full-day workshop on ‘Hotel Management’, organized by 211 Brigade Headquarters under 21 Division in Vavuniya provided a full-day training on the subject to 20 selected youngsters from the area. The training workshop, contributed to by National Youth Council and management expert, Mr Chandana Ratnayake, got underway at the Vavuniya National Youth Council auditorium on Wednesday (20).
A house, hitherto used by the Army in Jaffna was handed over back to the Ushan Murugan Kovil temple during a recent brief ceremony organized jointly by the 52 Division and 522 Brigade Headquarters for establishment of a library. On the same occasion, the chief priest, Rev Kandaswamy at the temple donated two computer units to the Army for distribution among two visually-handicapped persons in the area. 
622 Brigade Headquarters under the 62 Division, well aware of the plight of school students learning in Padaviya-Sripura 78 Kawantissapura Vidyalaya organized a distribution of school accessories and books among 148 students on Tuesday (19). Book parcels and accessories, worth about Rs. 60,000/= and three electric fans and appliances......
Spending their own money and labour, 10 (Volunteer) Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment (VIR) troops, serving the 551 Brigade Headquarters, built a new house for a low-income group family in Nagarkovil East, Jaffna area after their plight was brought to the notice. Army troops collected a sum of Rs 50,060/= from their own fellow-soldiers for this worthy cause and started constructing the new house, offering their own labour and expertise.
Security Force Headquarters - Wanni (SFHQ-W) with the objective of enlightening the world on the spate of development roles Wanni troops are rendering at civil, social, cultural and different levels, together with the news from SFHQ-W troops, launched its new website (www.army.lk/sfhqwanni) on Monday (25).....
A special mobile clinic on heart diseases, organized by the 54 Division for the benefit of Mannar civilians got underway in Mannar on Tuesday (26). A medical team from the Colombo National Hospital’s Cardiology unit conducted ECG and ECO tests on more than 450 civilians during the full-day clinic and referred some of them for further treatment after consultations. 
Sri Lanka Army’s Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment (VIR), the first post-war regiment to have received the President’s Colours and the Regimental Colours, in appreciation of their exceptional contribution and bravery, had their formal glittering ‘Guest Night’ and the banquet on Wednesday (27) evening at Sri Lanka Armoured Corps (SLAC) Regimental Headquarters, Modera, Colombo.
