17th June 2022 18:24:33 Hours
Major General Channa Weerasuriya the newly-appointed Deputy Chief of Staff (DCOS), assumed duties on Thursday (16) at his office in Army Headquarters after following a religious ceremony.
On the day, he signified the acceptance of his new office by placing his signature in an official document amidst greetings. He served as the Commandant of Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force Headquarters before he was appointed to the office of the DCOS. Several senior principle officers, officers and the Staff of the DCOS office attended to the occasion.
Here is the brief profile of Major General Channa Weerasuriya;
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 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 capacity. He commanded one of the reputed Infantry Battalions, 4th Battalion of Sri Lanka Light Infantry during the era of very high intensive 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 Sri Lanka Light Infantry, Centre Commandant of Regimental Headquarters 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 Security Force (East).
The senior officer has been awarded with the 'Rana Wickrama Paddakkama' and 'Rana Sura Paddakkama' 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.
The Chief of Staff of Sri Lanka Army and Colonel of the Regiment along with all officers and Other Ranks of Sri Lanka Light Infantry wish him to achieve many more successes and congratulate for his all future endeavors.
