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With the dawn of the New Year – 2013, as the Commander of the Army, I am very pleased and privileged to issue this message of greetings for the fourth consecutive time. You, all as members of the Sri Lanka Army in the past three years after dawn of peace to the motherland, are now commendably orientated to perform your duties in a peaceful milieu.
As it was stated in my 2010 New Year message to you; “our motherland is now entering a new revived stage of development. As a professional Army, we are all the time prepared to serve the motherland”, I appreciate and take pride in the cooperation and dedication you all have shown to the country’s forward-march to development.
It is a pleasure to see that training and new technology, required for a highly qualified professional Army has now been introduced never before, raising the morale of the soldier. One of our prioritized objectives during this year is the enhancement of training opportunities at local and international levels. This includes proficiency training at private level, battalion training, joint military exercises, international training rounds, language training sessions, etc.
Those you who are serving the Army should remain all the time updated about different welfare roles being pursued in the organization. Directorate of Welfare, Directorate of Veterans’ Affairs and Seva Vanitha Army Branch as well as Ranaviru Seva Authority, Ministry of Defence Seva Vanitha Branch, ‘Api Wenuwen Api’ project, are among the most prominent welfare service wings, which provide dividends to the deserving sections in the organization.
Not only that, in keeping with the ‘Mahinda Chinthanaya’, with the patronage of HE the President and blessings of the Secretary Defence and Urban Development, we have been able to open two wellness resorts, Anuradhapura Abimansala and Ruhunupura Abimansala exclusively for totally dependent War Heroes in 2011 and 2012. A similar wellness resort is to be made a reality during the course of this year at Pangolla, Kurunegala on behalf of Wayamba-based disable War Heroes.
I underline the fact that you all, as members of the Army who are round the clock prepared to extend services while winning the hearts and minds of the general public, should always maintain the highest standards of discipline as a matter of much importance. While further promoting the image of the Army which traces its roots to a proud history, you all should sustain and enhance the prestigious Army image like in previous years in the year 2013, too through dedicated work. I wish you courage and strength for its fruition.
Let me pay my tribute to all War Heroes who sacrificed their youthful lives, went missing and became disable during their fight for sovereignty of the motherland. At this moment, I also recall with respect the contribution made by members of the civil staff and their members of the family. I wish all of you a prosperous New Year, filled with happiness and joy.
May all of you have a ‘Suba Anagathayak’!
