New Deputy Chief of Staff Begins Duties

Major General Channa Weerasooriya of the Sri Lanka Light Infantry, the newly-appointed Deputy Chief of Staff (DCOS) assumed office on Thursday (16) at the Army HQ during a simple ceremony.

As Buddhist monks began chanting ‘Seth Pirith’, Major General Channa Weerasooriya signed an official document symbolizing the acceptance of the new office. Later on, he offered ‘Pirikara’ and ‘Gilanpasa’ to the monks and made obeisance to them.

Prior to this new appointment, Major General Channa Weerasooriya served as the Commandant at Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force Headquarters at Kosgama. He also held the office of the Commander, Security Forces - East several months ago.

Staff Officers at the office of the Deputy Chief of Staff (DCOS) and Other Ranks joined the occasion.

Here is the brief profile of Major General Channa Weerasooriya;

Major General Channa Weerasuriya was born in 1968 in Colombo and had his education at Mahanama College, Kollupitiya where he excelled in sports and various scopes. He joined the Army as an Officer Cadet in 1986 and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant into one of the most respected Infantry Regiments in the Sri Lanka Army, the 1st Battalion of the Sri Lanka Light Infantry Regiment on 23 July 1987. He has counted over 35 years of reckonable service in the military career.

Besides the regimental appointments in every sphere, Major General Channa Weerasuriya has held numerous important appointments in Command and Staff capacities. He commanded one of the reputed Infantry Battalions, 4th Battalion of Sri Lanka Light Infantry Regiment during the era of very high intensity counter insurgency operations.

Having completed the tenure as the Battalion Commander, he held Staff appointments in various formations as General Staff Officer 1 (Coordinating) at 23 Division, Colonel General Staff at 58 Division, Chief of the Staff at Regimental Headquarters of the Sri Lanka Light Infantry, Centre Commandant of Regimental Headquarters of the Sri Lanka Light Infantry, Brigadier General Staff at the Security Force Headquarters - Kilinochchi and Director at Directorate of Recruiting - Army Headquarters.

Major General Channa Weerasuriya has served many command appointments including Commander of 512, 523 and 663 Infantry Brigades, Commander of Air Mobile Brigade and Commander of 22 Division in Trincomalee, and Commander of Security Force (East). Prior to taking over the duties as the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army, he served as the Commandant of the Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force.

The senior officer has been awarded with the 'Rana Wickrama Paddakkama' and 'Rana SuraPaddakkama' in recognition of the gallantry, invaluable and selfless dedication, excelled in the face of enemy in the battlefield.

In addition to the local courses he followed, Major General Channa Weerasuriya has attended Young Officers' Course in Pakistan, Mortar Course in India, Junior Command Course in Bangladesh, United Nations Staff Officers’ Course in Bangladesh and Senior Command Course in India. He has obtained the Master’s Degree in Public Management at the University of Sri Jayawardenepura and has attended seminars on ‘Conflict Resolution by Military Means’ held in California, USA and ‘Security of the Countries of South Asia and North Eastern Asia’ held in Mongolia. Major General Channa Weerasuriya has obtained the graduation on the National Security and War Course at the National Defence University of Pakistan.

He is married to Mrs. Danusha Weerasuriya and blessed with a daughter.