06th October 2022 14:27:53 Hours
Brigadier Ravi Herath of the Sri Lanka Signal Corps (SLSC) this morning (6) assumed office as the new Director Media cum Army Spokesman at the Army Headquarters during a brief formal ceremony.
He is the 19th Director Media at the Army Headquarters and succeeded Brigadier Nilantha Premaratne who has now been appointed the Brigadier General Staff (BGS) at the Security Force Headquarters - West.
Brigadier Ravi Herath amid chanting of ‘Seth Pirith’ by members of the Maha Sangha symbolically placed his signature for an official document to signify the acceptance of the new office. After offer of ‘Pirikara’ to the monks, he inaugurated the office by lighting the traditional oil lamp, together with several Officers.
In keeping with traditions, Brigadier Herath afterwards spoke to both Officers and Other Ranks and set out his vision for the Directorate in future.
Brigadier Ravi Herath, prior to this appointment, held the office of Director Perspective Planning and Implementation Cell (PP&I Cell) at the Army Headquarters.
The simple ceremony was attended by Brigadier Imal Assalarachchi, Signal Brigade Commander, Brigadier Sudantha Fonseka, Centre Commandant, Sri Lanka Signal Corps, Colonel Dammika Adikari, Colonel Media, Media Advisor, Mr Sisira Wijesinghe, Colonel K.V.P Dammika, Commanding Officer, 12 Sri Lanka Signal Corps, General Staff Officer 1, Lieutenant Colonel Bimal Jayashantha, Staff Officers and a representative gathering of Other Ranks at Directorate of Media.
Born in Matale, he was enlisted to the Sri Lanka Army in 1990 and commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 1991 at the Sri Lanka Military Academy (SLMA) Diyatalawa.
Brigadier Ravi Herath earned a Master’s degree in Defence Studies (M.Def.S) from the University of Kelaniya while reading for the psc degree at the Army Command and Staff College, now known as the Defence Services Command and Staff College. He also earned the MPhil degree from the University of Madras, India.
A variety of courses he followed include the Cougar Repair and Maintenance Course in the UK, Signal Company Commander Course in India, NORDEFCO/Integrated Crisis Management Course in Finland, Multinational Communication Interrogating Programme (MCIP) in Hawaii and National Defence College course in India, Young Officers’ Course at Signal Training School, Jessore, Bangladesh and many other local ones, inclusive of UN Mission Training Course, Infantry Company Commander Course, Signal Young Officers’ Course, Officer Par Excellence Course No 3, etc.
During his career, he has also held the Commanding Officer, 5 Sri Lanka Signal Corps and 1 Sri Lanka Signal Corps, Staff Officer 1 (Grade 1) at the Military Secretariat, Commandant at the School of Signals, Commander, 542 Brigade, Director, Border Risk Assessment Centre (BRAC), Ministry of Defence and Director, Perspective Planning and Implementation Cell (PP&I Cell) at the Army Headquarters before he took over the new appointment today (6).
