Army War College, the premier training establishment, formally known as OCDC, is renowned as a world class knowledge hub that focuses on the career progression of the officers of Sri Lanka Army. It is at the suburbs of Buttala located in a proud part of a rich heritage of the ancient bastion of King Dutugemunu.
In 1992, this land was chosen by late President Ranasinghe Premadasa for the 14th anniversary of ‘Gam Udawa Village Re-awakening Programme’. Subsequent to Gam Udawa anniversary celebration, this land was transferred to the University Grant Commission to start Buttala Affiliated University College (BAUC). It was commissioned in this premises and commenced its functions on 21 June 1993. Then, with the elevation of the affiliated university colleges: Sabaragamuwa, Uva and Buttala, to fully-fledged national universities in early 1996, they were amalgamated to form the Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka and BAUC became the Applied Science Faculty of the new university.
In March 2008, the faculty was relocated in the main campus premises at Belihuloya and thereafter, this land had been abandoned until the holding of Deyata Kirula national exhibition which was declared open by his Excellency the President Mahinda Rajapaksa on 4 February 2011. Subsequent to the exhibition, on 1 August 2011, His Excellency the President handed over this land to the Sri Lanka Army on its request to establish a training centre for Army officers.Consequently, Officers’ Study Centre (OSC) of Sri Lanka Military Academy was shifted to this location and the institutional capacities were developed to function this centre as a new officers’ training institution. Thus, this envisioned institute was named as Officer Career Development Centre (OCDC) with the motto, ‘Service through Wisdom’. Then, this premier institution was declared open by the Secretary to His Excellency the President, Mr Lalith Weerathunga on 23 January 2012 upon the invitation of the Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General J Jayasuriya VSV USP ndu psc and bestowed to the Sri Lanka Army to conduct courses for the career progression of officers. Brig K P A Jayasekara WWV RSP psc was the first Commandant of OCDC.
The prime objective of inaugurating this institution was to groom middle grade officers in staff/command and management skills as well as other skills needed by officers to face emerging challenges of the Sri Lanka Army. The OCDC continued to conduct the JSC and JCC that had been conducted at the OSC SLMA with enhanced syllabi. Thereafter, OCDC accelerated its educational mission towards enhancing professional competency among the officers of the Sri Lanka Army by developing both its curriculum and the infrastructure facilities. Within a short span of six years, Defence Studies Wing was relocated to the newly constructed three storied Nexus building. Due to the expansion of the scope of the curriculum, Unit Command Course (UCC) was introduced in 2018 to prepare officers to command battalions. In 2021, the Senior Command Course was introduced by replacing UCC.
To accomplish the strategic visionary objectives of the Chief of Defence Staff and Commander of the Army, General Shavendra Silva WWV RWP RSP VSV USP ndc psc MPhil, the OCDC was upgraded to a fully fledged Army War College and auspiciously inaugurated on 17 December 2021. This marks a historic golden step forward for the professional capacity building of the officers of the Sri Lanka Army and the exchange knowledge with the contemporary armies of the world.
