01st May 2025 20:37:14 Hours
Major General M.K.L.A De Silva RSP USP nps psc was invited to the Office of the Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Lasantha Rodrigo RSP ctf-ndu psc IG, on 30 April 2025, along with his family members, prior to his retirement from the Sri Lanka Army after completing a distinguished career spanning 34 years.
Brief profile of the retiring Senior Officer:
Major General M.K.L.A De Silva RSP USP nps psc enlisted in the Regular Force of the Sri Lanka Army as an Officer Cadet for the Intake KDA - 09 on 17 November 1991. Upon successful completion of military training at the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence Academy and the Sri Lanka Military Academy, Diyathalawa, he was commissioned in the rank of Second Lieutenant and posted to the Gajaba Regiment on 22 November 1993. After being steadily elevated to subsequent ranks throughout his service, he was promoted to the rank of Major General on 18 January 2025.
The Senior Officer will retire from the Regular Force of the Sri Lanka Army with effect from 05 May 2025 on reaching 55 years of age. At the time of retirement, he was holding the appointment of Commandant, Institute of Peace Support Operations Training Sri Lanka (IPSOTSL).
During his military career, he held various important appointments such as Platoon Commander and Officer Commanding of the 8th Battalion the Gajaba Regiment, General Staff Officer 3 (Operations & Training) of the Headquarters - 563 Infantry Brigade, Officer Instructor and Officer Commanding of the Officer Cadet Wing at the Sri Lanka Military Academy, and Brigade Major of the Headquarters - 531 Infantry Brigade. He also served as a Staff Officer of the Seva Vanitha Unit at the Ministry of Defence, and later as the Assistant Military Liaison Officer at the Ministry of Defence. He was deployed as the Staff Officer 1 (Strategic Movements) in the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH).
He further held key roles such as Commanding Officer of the 1st Battalion the Gajaba Regiment, Directing Staff at the Defence Services Command and Staff College, Military Assistant to the Commander of the Army, and Director (Defence Coordination) at the Presidential Secretariat. He also served as the Commander of the 213 Infantry Brigade, Assistant Military Secretary 2 and Assistant Military Secretary at the Military Secretary’s Branch – Army Headquarters, and finally as the Commandant of the Institute of Peace Support Operations Training Sri Lanka (IPSOTSL).
The Senior Officer was decorated with the Rana Sura Padakkama for his bravery in the battlefield and the Uttama Seva Padakkama for his exemplary conduct in service.
He completed numerous local and foreign military courses throughout his career. These include the Platoon Commanders Course, Unit Administration Course, Battalion Support Weapons Officers’ Course, Junior Staff Course, Basic Marksmanship Course and the Army Command and Staff Course. He also followed the Law of Armed Conflict Course conducted by the International Committee of the Red Cross at the Army Command and Staff College. Additionally, he completed the Global Peace Operations Initiative United Nations Civil-Military Coordination (UN-CIMIC) Officers’ Course, the Young Officers Tactical Course in Pakistan, the Junior Command Course in India, the Command and Staff Course in Pakistan, and the International Defence Management Course in the United States of America.
The Senior Officer also earned higher educational and professional qualifications, including a Bachelor of Arts (Defence Studies) from the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence Academy.
