SRI LANKA ARMY ENGINEER DIVISION INAUGURATED TO MEET WITH FUTURE CHALLENGES

Foresight as a principle of Military Engineers, preparing the Army for the nation development and new challenges, the Sri Lanka Army in another milestone formally raised its newest Division, Sri Lanka Army Engineer Division on 18.11.2020 during a splendid ceremony at the Home of Sappers – Maththegoda. The ceremony was graced by Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva WWV RWP RSP VSV USP ndc psc, Chief of Defence Staff, Commander of the Army and Head of the National Operations Centre for Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO). The Chief Guest on his arrival to the Home of Sappers was warmly welcomed by Major General Jagath Gunawardena, Chief of Staff of the Army and the Colonel Commandant of Corps of Sri Lanka Engineers, and accorded with a Guard Turnout.

The customary Guard of Honour saluted the day's Chief Guest in accordance with military formalities. The Army Chief symbolizing the formal raising of the Sri Lanka Army Engineer Division and signed the declaration of the inauguration of Engineer Division. Meanwhile the Commander of the Army laid the foundation stone for the proposed Division Headquarters building. Subsequent to that, the Commander was invited to leave memories in the premises by planting a tree sapling as has been the practice in the Army ceremonies of this nature.

A few minutes later, the newly constructed badminton court and gymnasium complex were declared open by the day's Chief Guest, together with Senior Officers.

After the customary welcome note delivered by Major General Chandana Wijayasundara, the Commander Engineer Division, in which he traced the brief legend behind the expansion of the Sappers and future tasks of Engineers, while fulfilling all needs of national security, nation building, disaster management and support all other humanitarian operations as per the directions of the Commander of the Army.

During the troops address of the day's Chief Guest, Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva, commended the tremendous role played by the Sappers in the battlefield and highlighted the value and significance role of the Military Engineers of this nature in the Army, considering emerging nation building tasks, natural and man-made disasters, floods and other catastrophes, special emergency circumstances, Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear warfare, outbreak of community-infected epidemics, such as COVID-19 etc, for example. He also thanked all involved in this effort as the Army's 'Way Forward Strategy' should go hand in hand with Engineer tasks which are in vogue throughout the world.

Senior Officers, including Major General Jagath Gunawardena, Chief of Staff of the Army and the Colonel Commandant of Corps of Sri Lanka Engineers, Deputy Chief of Staff, Principal Staff Officers, Chief Field Engineer, Directors, Senior Officers, Officers and Other Ranks were associated with the inaugural occasion keeping with COVID -19 safety guidelines.