Commander extols SLNG for its achievements

The fifth battalion of Sri Lanka National Guard (5 SLNG) was adjudged the Best battalion of all 21 battalions of the SLNG in terms of its performance and carried away the trophy awarded to them during a grand ceremony on Sunday (23) at Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH).

SLNG Regiment, with its motto “Swarthayata Pera Deshaya”,(Country before Self) has so far been able to successfully pose a challenge to other Regiments within a span of fifteen years after the Regiment was founded in 1990.

It was in 1999, the SLNG Regiment for the first time took an initiative to launch an annual programme to select the best five SLNG battalions on the merits of their performance in operational areas, administrative affairs, sports and discipline, welfare and other miscellaneous sphere of duties related to the Army.

Sunday's ceremony rich with cultural feats of highest standards was graced by Commander of the Army, Lt General Shantha Kottegoda who in his address to the occasion praised the SLNG for its spirited team work throughout the last few years.

“It was the SLNG who have emerged Karate and Judo champions in the Army and to their credit they also carried away the championship in the annual drill competition. Dedication and hard work by both officers and other ranks in the SLNG have contributed immensely to those successes, bringing credit to the whole of the Army,” Commander Kottegoda said.

Lieutenant Colonel G.V. Siriwardane, who commanded the 5 SLNG received the award for the Best SLNG battalion for the year 2004 from the Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Kottegoda.

This was the 6th consecutive year of the SLNG ceremony.

The whole event organized under the auspices of Brigadier V.K.B. Weerakoon, Colonel of the SLNG Regiment saw Major G.T. Warnakulasooriya, Commanding Officer 20 SLNG, Lieutenant Colonel M.G.R. Perera, Commanding Officer 4 SLNG and Lieutenant Colonel E.M.W. Ekanayaka, former Commanding Officer 13 SLNG and Major T Pitage, Commanding Officer 3 SLNG, along with their Regimental Sergeant Majors (RSM) receive their awards for 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th places respectively from the Army Commander.