HE the President Maithripala Sirisena in his capacity as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces as the Chief Guest graced the ceremonial Passing out Parade (PoP) of 63 more Officer Cadets at Diyatalawa Sri Lanka Military Academy (SLMA) on Saturday (27) at the invitation of the Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Crishanthe De Silva. Secretary Defence, Mr B.M.U.D Basnayake was also welcomed at the SLMA premises by the Commander of the Army and Brigadier R.W.W.A.D.B Rajaguru, Commandant, SLMA.
Those 63 Cadet Officers who underwent the SLMA training in Regular Intake 80, Volunteer Intake 54A and Lady Intake 13A, received their formal commissioning from the day’s Chief Guest during the ceremony, amid best wishes of their parents, next of kin and a gathering of senior officers and invitees.
The spectacle’s Chief Guest on arrival at the parade ground was respectfully welcomed by the Commander of the Army Lieutenant General Crishanthe De Silva.
A few seconds later, the Chief Guest, together with his host, laid a floral wreath at the SLMA war memorial as the first segment on the day’s agenda and honoured the memory of fallen service patriots in a solemn minute of silence as everybody stood up in reverence.
President Sirisena as patriotic melodies began rendering the air minutes later commenced the ceremonial award of the ornamental Commissioning Swords to the graduates, symbolizing their formal commissioning in the Sri Lanka Army as the stage was getting ready to receive the colourful salute from those new officers. Those Best Achievers during graduation were also felicitated at the same occasion.
Saturday’s ceremony saw 50 Cadet Officers in the Regular Intake 80, 9 Cadet Officers in the Volunteer Intake 54A and 4 more Cadet Officers in the Lady Intake 13A receive their commissions on the day.
In a separate assembly at the SLMA gymnasium, along with SLMA Commandant Brigadier R.W.W.A.D.B Rajaguru soon after the Commissioning parade, parents of the new graduates got together and adorned shoulders of their brave and beloved ones with the insignia of the President’s Commission as one more customary feature of the day’s programme.
On the previous day (26), the formal final presentation of those undergraduates occurred at the Colonel Fazly Laphir Memorial Auditorium in the presence of the Chief Guest and the Commander of the Army. The final presentation of those Cadet Officers centred largely on the theme, ‘Use of mass Human Shields as a terrorist tactic and Lessons learnt during Putumattalan Rescue’.
On the same occasion, the SLMA book, ‘The Battle of Danthure’, and the Sinhala version of “Sustenance of Indigenous Values in order to Enhance Patriotism and Professionalism in the Sri Lanka Army” were released. First copies of both works were presented to the Chief Guest and other distinguished guests present by the SLMA Commandant. Prof Anura Manathunga, Head of Department of Archaeology, University of Kelaniya, adding academic flavour, delivered the keynote address at the occasion.
The final Commissioning Dinner of the Passing out Parade, typical in PoPs took place place this evening at the Officer Cadets’ Mess with the Chief Guest for the PoP and the Commander of the Army, taking the centre-stage at the head table.
Senior tri-service officers, distinguished invitees, parents and well-wishers, relatives of Cadet Officers witnessed the day’s main highlights.
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