23rd January 2018 15:41:54 Hours
In the aftermath of the three decade long terrorist conflict, Sri Lanka is well into the path of recovery. The military that was instrumental in delivering the decisive blow to defeat insurgency adapted well to the post conflict demands. The operating environment of the military will be further compounded by the effects of climate and the rise in natural and other calamities. These will translate into threats such as accidental and deliberate toxic chemical or biological release, radiation due to accidents in the medical, industrial and agricultural fields, nuclear accidents in plants in close proximity to the Island and the ensuing contamination of land, buildings and equipment.
The Corps of Engineers will be looked upon to deal with such threats to ensure the operational efficiency of the Army in particular and the sustainability of the nation in general. It was a requirement to form an organization to response such chemical, biological, radiation and nuclear (CBRN) threat.
In this backdrop it is converted an existing 14 Field Engineer Regiment to a 14 CBRN response Engineer Regiment capable for Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) and counter CBRN. Explosive Ordnance Disposal is the core capability upon which counter CBRN capability can be developed.
This regiment will be responsible for maintaining Explosive Detection Dogs (EDD) and carry out training required for sustainability of the EOD Squadron. To achieve this mission they bred and trained 8 sniffer dogs locally and the passing out of these EDDs and dog handlers was held on 07 November 2017 at the Sappers Cricket Stadium, Mattegoda. The Colonel Commandant and the Commander Security Force (West) Major General S Ranasinghe RWP RSP ndu psc graced the occasion as the chief guest. Newly trained EDDs are decorated the event and audience were overwhelmed by seen their performance.
After EDDs performance, officers and soldiers of 143 CBRN Response Squadron conducted a comprehensive demonstration on an operation against chemical accident. This was happened first time in Sri Lanka Army history.
As the appreciation of CBRN response duties in the field, the approved CBRN identification badge was awarded to 14 CBRN Regt SLE by the Colonel Commandant and it was received by Lt Col TDP Siriwardane psc SLE Commanding Officer of 14 CBRN Regt SLE. The Chief Field Engineer, Commander Army Training Command (ARTRAC), GOC 57 Division, Commander Engineer Brigade, Centre Commandant, Deputy Centre Commandant, Directorate of Operations (AHQ), Colonel Plans Directorate of Plans (AHQ), many Senior Officers, Officers and Officials from the National Authority for the Implementation of Chemical Weapons Conventions in Sri Lanka (NACWC), Sri Lanka Atomic Energy Regulatory Council attended the ceremony.
