29th May 2023 17:05:39 Hours
Lieutenant General Vikum Liyanage RWP RSP ndu, Commander of the Army took time off on Monday (29) morning to extend his best wishes to retiring one more distinguished Senior Officer of the Special Forces Regiment (SF), Major General D.G.S Senarath Yapa RWP RSP ndu, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army on the eve of the latter's retirement from the Army.
Major General D.G.S Senarath Yapa RWP RSP ndu, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army after an eventful service of more than three decades was invited by Lieutenant General Vikum Liyanage RWP RSP ndu, Commander of the Army to his office, together with his family members, Mrs Nayani Samanthi Senarath Yapa, Mr Gawesh Sudharaka Senarath Yapa (Son) and Mr Asel Banuka Senarath Yapa (Son), just a few days before his retirement from the service.
Major General D.G.S Senarath Yapa RWP RSP ndu, who has served the Army for more than 36 years in an exemplary manner during the meet received appreciative compliments and words of commendation from the Army Chief who also spoke high of his working capacity, commitment and dedication to the Army as a member of the prestigious Special Forces family. The Army Chief refreshed memories of the retiree’s contribution and valuable roles during the height of the war against terrorism as a Special Forces Officer of the highest calibre before May 2009.
The Army Chief while sharing a few pleasantries with the retiring Major General and his family members and also inquired about the retiring Senior Officer's future endeavours and wished him good luck. He also did not fail to heap praise on the support that his family members have given to him during his career while he had to be away from home on duty requirements.
Major General D.G.S Senarath Yapa RWP RSP ndu also in turn thanked the Commander of the Army for his warm wishes and guidance while mentioning the encouragement he received during his tenure of service in the organization.
Towards the end of the interactions, Lieutenant General Vikum Liyanage RWP RSP ndu awarded a special memento to the outgoing retiree as a symbol of appreciation and commendation along with special gifts to family members present at the office.
Major General D.G.S Senarath Yapa RWP RSP ndu enlisted in the Regular Force of the Sri Lanka Army as an Officer Cadet on 16 March 1987. Upon successful completion of military training in Intake 27 at the Sri Lanka Military Academy - Diyatalawa, he was commissioned in the rank of Second Lieutenant and posted to the Gajaba Regiment (GR) on 10 December 1988. Subsequently, the Senior Officer was transferred to the Special Forces on 10 October 1989. After being steadily elevated to subsequent ranks in the course of the span of service in the Army, he was promoted to the rank of Major General on 02 June 2020.
He has been holding the appointments of Deputy Chief of Staff of Sri Lanka Army, Colonel of the Regiment, Special Forces Regiment, and Overlooking Commandant of the National Defence College at the time of his retirement. He also held the appointments of the Platoon Commander of 3 GR, Group Commander of 1st Regiment Special Forces. Second-In-Command of C Squadron and F Squadron, 1 SF, Officer Commanding of B Squadron, 2 SF, Senior Instructor of Special Forces Training School, Brigade Major of Special Forces Brigade, Second-In-Command of 3 SF, Officiating Commanding Officer of 1 SF and 3 SF, Commandant, Special Forces Training School, Officiating Commander of 593 Infantry Brigade, Officiating Centre Commandant of Regimental Centre, Special Forces, Commander of Special Forces Brigade, Brigadier (General Staff) of Security Force Headquarters - Kilinochchi, Officiating General Officer Commanding of 57 Infantry Division, General Officer Commanding of the 14 Infantry Division, Commander, Security Forces - West, Commander, Security Forces - Jaffna and the Commandant of the Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force.
For his bravery and gallantry in the battlefields, he has been awarded with ‘Rana Wickrama Padakkama’ and the ‘Rana Sura Padakkama’.
Major General D.G.S Senarath Yapa RWP RSP ndu followed many local and foreign courses during his military career such as the Special Forces Basic Course, Defence and Strategic Studies Course and Leadership Programme, Basic Parachute Course (India), Commando Course (India), Young Officers’ Course (India), Mid-Career Course (Pakistan), Military Observers’ Course (India), Unit Commanders’ Course (China), and the Defence and Strategic Studies Course (China).
He has also read for non-military degrees such as the Masters of Science (Defence) degree at General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University and a Master of Science in Strategic Military Studies at the National Defence University of Beijing in China.
