Army Chief Commends Retiring Major General’s Outstanding Service

Major General W.L.A.C. Perera RWP RSP USP, General Officer Commanding of the 24 Infantry Division, was invited to the office of the Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Vikum Liyanage RWP RSP ndu, on 02 December 2024, along with his family, prior to his retirement from the Sri Lanka Army.

During the meeting, the Army Chief commended the Senior Officer for his unwavering dedication and exemplary service in various challenging roles throughout his career, both during the war and in the post-war era. The Commander of the Army also acknowledged the pivotal role played by his family in supporting him throughout his career.

In response, Major General W.L.A.C. Perera RWP RSP USP expressed his profound gratitude for the steadfast guidance and support provided by the Army Chief. After the interaction, the Commander of the Army presented a special memento to the retiring Senior Officer as a symbol of appreciation and commendation, along with gifts for his family.

Here follows a brief profile of the retiring Senior Officer:

Major General W.L.A.C. Perera RWP RSP USP enlisted in the Regular Force of the Sri Lanka Army in Intake PMA 2 as an Officer Cadet on 15 October 1990. Upon successfully completing military training at the Sri Lanka Military Academy in Diyatalawa and the Pakistan Military Academy (PMA), he was commissioned in the rank of Second Lieutenant and posted to the Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment on 13 March 1991. After steadily elevating through the ranks during his service, he was promoted to the rank of Major General on 09 December 2023. The Senior Officer will retire from the Regular Force of the Sri Lanka Army on 04 December 2024, upon reaching 55 years of age.

Throughout his career, he held various key appointments including Platoon Commander of the 8 Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment, Officer Commanding of the 4, 8 and 12 Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment, General Staff Officer 3 (Operations) at the Headquarters of the 23 Infantry Division, Officer Commanding of the 8 Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment, Military Observer in the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC), Officer Instructor at the Institute of Peace Support Operations Training in Sri Lanka, General Staff Officer 2 (Operations/Plans) at Joint Operations Headquarters in Colombo, Second-in-Command of the 12 Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment, Adjutant of the Regimental Centre of Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment, Commanding Officer of the 12 Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment, General Staff Officer 1 (Training Support) at the Defence Services Command and Staff College, General Staff Officer 1 (Operations) at the Security Force Headquarters (East), Staff Officer 1 (Tender Processing Wing) at the Master General Ordnance Branch at Army Headquarters, Staff Officer 1 (Administration) at the Regimental Centre of Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment, Deputy Centre Commandant of the Regimental Centre of Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment, Colonel (General Staff) at the Headquarters of the 14 Infantry Division, Commander of the 652 Infantry Brigade, Commander of the 532 Infantry Brigade, Director (Operations) of the Disaster Management Centre (DMC), Deputy General Officer Commanding at the Headquarters of the 52 Infantry Division, Director of the Directorate of Movement at Army Headquarters, Director General of the Directorate of Movement at Army Headquarters and General Officer Commanding of the 24 Infantry Division.

He was awarded Rana Wickrama Padakkama (two times) for his bravery in the face of the enemy, Rana Sura Padakkama (three times) for his bravery on the battlefield and Uththama Seva Padakkama for his exceptional, distinguished, and loyal service. Throughout his military career, the Senior Officer completed numerous local and foreign courses including the Platoon Commanders’ Tactics Course, Regimental Signal Officers’ Course, Artillery Observation Course, Battalion Support Weapons Officers’ Course, International Humanitarian Law & Human Rights Basic Instructor Course, International Humanitarian Law & Human Rights Advanced Refresher Course in Sri Lanka, Officer Cadet Training Course in Pakistan, Young Officers’ Infantry Course in Pakistan, Counter-Insurgency and Jungle Warfare (Officers) Course in India, Junior Command Course in India and the United Nations Peace Support Operations Course in Bangladesh.

In addition, the Senior Officer pursued higher education earning a Diploma in Senior Level Defence Management at Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya in India, a Diploma in International Relations at the Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies, a National Diploma in Training and Human Resource Development at the Institute of Personnel Management in Sri Lanka, a Master of Science in Management at the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University and a Professional Qualification in Human Resource Management at the Institute of Personnel Management in Sri Lanka.