27th March 2025 08:24:43 Hours
Major General D.P Welagedara RSP USP psc IG was invited to the Office of the Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Lasantha Rodrigo RSP ctf-ndu psc IG, on 26 March 2025, together with his family members, prior to his retirement from the Sri Lanka Army after completing a distinguished career spanning 35 years.
Brief Profile of the Retiring Senior Officer:
Major General Dhammika Priyantha Welagedara enlisted in the Regular Force of the Sri Lanka Army as an Officer Cadet on 07 September 1990 to the Intake PMA 01. Upon successful completion of military training at the Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) and the Sri Lanka Military Academy - Diyatalawa, he was commissioned in the rank of Second Lieutenant and posted to the Sri Lanka Artillery on 27 December 1992. After being steadily elevated to subsequent ranks, he was promoted to the rank of Major General on 19 August 2023. The Senior Officer will retire from the Regular Force of the Sri Lanka Army with effect from 29 March 2025 on reaching 55 years of age.
He held various appointments during his career, including Troop Commander of the 17th Battery - 6th Field Regiment Sri Lanka Artillery, Platoon Commander of the Army Training School, Troop Commander of the 23rd Battery - 6th Field Regiment Sri Lanka Artillery, Battery Commander of the 29th Battery - 9th Field Regiment Sri Lanka Artillery, Battery Commander of the Locating Battery, Officers Training Officer of the14th Rocket Regiment Sri Lanka Artillery, Battery Commander of the 143rd Rocket Battery - 14th Rocket Regiment Sri Lanka Artillery, General Staff Officer 2 (Training) of the Headquarters - 11 Infantry Division, General Staff Officer 2 (Plans) of the Directorate of Plans - Army Headquarters, Second-in-Command of the 17th (Reinforcement) Regiment Sri Lanka Artillery, Directing Staff of the Officers Study Centre - Sri Lanka Military Academy, Second-in-Command of the 8th Medium Regiment Sri Lanka Artillery, Military Staff Officer (U2), Headquarters, United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), General Staff Officer 1 (Additional) of the UN Cell - Directorate of Operations at Army Headquarters, General Staff Officer 1 (Operations) of the Directorate of Operations - Army Headquarters, Commanding Officer of the 6th Field Regiment Sri Lanka Artillery, Staff Officer 1 (Strategic & Doctrine) of the Strategic & Doctrine Wing - Army Training Command, Colonel (Strategic & Doctrine) of the Strategic & Doctrine Wing - Army Training Command, Peacekeeping Affairs Officer of the Department of Peace Operations (DPO), United Nations Headquarters - New York, Commander of the 571 Infantry Brigade, Commander of the Artillery Brigade, Deputy Military Liaison Officer of the Ministry of Defence, Military Liaison Officer of the Ministry of Defence.
In recognition of his bravery in the face of the enemy, the Senior Officer was awarded the the Rana Sura Padakkama (Awarded three times) and Utthama Seva Padakkama for his unblemished service.
The Senior Officer has completed numerous local and foreign courses during his military career, including Unit Administration Course, Army Command and Staff Course, Parachute Basic Course – Pakistan, Artillery Young Officers’ (Field) Course - India, Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher Course – Pakistan, Advanced Gunnery Course – India, Long Gunnery Staff Course - India and Artillery Battalion Commanders Course - China.
The Senior Officer has obtained the higher educational and professional qualifications such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Applications Course at the University of Peradeniya, Diploma in Diplomacy & World Affairs at the Bandaranayake International Diplomatic Training Institute (BIDTI) and Master of Science in Disaster Analysis, Management, and Mitigation at the University of Colombo.
