Major General Ruwan Wanigasooriya Completes his Tenure as Commander Security Forces – Jaffna

Major General Ruwan Wanigasooriya who held the office of the Commander Security Force (Jaffna) for over a year, relinquished the appointment on 08 August 2020 to assume duties as Commandant Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force. Prior to leaving Jaffna, the outgoing Commander Security Forces – Jaffna, paid official visits to 51, 52 and 55 Divisions and Forward Maintenance Area (North), Kankesanthurai and appreciatively addressed troops. He offered his gratitude to All Ranks serving in respective formations for high standard of professionalism maintained during the past year and committed service rendered to maintain a peaceful environment in Jaffna peninsula. On the 07 August, he was extended a Guard of Honour at the Security Forces Headquarters - Jaffna by the troops of 10th Sri Lanka Artillery.

Before being appointed the Commander Security Forces - Jaffna on 15 July 2019, Major General Ruwan Wanigasooriya served as General Officer Commanding 59 Division in Mullaitivu. He has held many responsible Command, Staff and Instructor appointments in the organization and has followed a number of local and foreign courses.

Since the day he took over the office as Commander Security Forces - Jaffna, Major General Ruwan Wanigasooriya initiated several measures to enhance security of Jaffna peninsula, which enabled strengthening the public confidence towards the Security Forces deployed in Jaffna peninsula while maintaining peaceful and free environment for day to day normal life of the population.

He took special concern in uplifting the standard of training of Officers and Other Ranks to improve their knowledge and skills to be professional members of the Army. Under his directions, the facilities at the All Ranks’ Gymnasium were refurbished and was fully equipped for the benefit of all Officers and Other Ranks deployed in the Area of Responsibility. Army Base Hospital Palaly was relocated at Vasavillan upon his guidance to enable expansion of services provided by them in addressing health matters of all Army personnel in Jaffna peninsula. He guided engineer troops to complete the construction of ‘Ravindu Wapi’ the first ever tank with a spillway in Jaffna, to enrich and preserve the water resource in Palaly area.

The senior officer was recognized and commended by the community in Jaffna peninsula for the efforts made to uplift the living standards of deserving people and most social welfare projects. With the assistance of foreign and local well-wishers, he initiated necessary action to construct a large number of houses for shelterless people, distributed thousands of spectacles and wheelchairs for the deserving, conducted medical camps and blood donation campaigns and distributed hundreds of bicycles and school stationery items for children.The under command troops were directed by him with synergic efforts to assist the civil community who were affected by disasters and other adverse conditions. Amidst supporting the civil community in Jaffna, the senior officer initiated a number of programmes to felicitate the ex-servicemen in Jaffna District by facilitating them in many ways for their benefit in old ages, including supply of medicine to their door steps.

Besides social welfare projects, Major General Ruwan Wanigasooriya promoted Sri Lanka Army as an environmental protection force continuing a Coconut Planting Project, Mega Palmyra Planting Project, Mega Tree Planting Project and many environment cleaning projects in Jaffna. His conceptual directions paved way to construct Harmony Centres in Jaffna peninsula that provide vocational and technology training for job seekers and school children and coordination of civil matters with the population and government authorities. Two Harmony Centres are already in operation at Kankesathurai and Sittankerni, and two others will soon come up in Walikamam division. In view of promoting peace and reconciliation, and building cooperation between military and civil community, he guided the troops to organize many sports events involving youths and school children in Jaffna peninsula.

The First Ever ‘‘Jaffna Got Talent - 2020’’ (Singing Star and Dancing Star competition) for talented civilian youth in Jaffna peninsula was a novel concept of Major General Ruwan Wanigasooriya who wished to pave way for the talented spirit of North to compete at national level in aesthetic field.

The initiatives and preventive measures activated during the Covid 19 pandemic by Major General Ruwan Wanigasooriya as Commander Security Forces (Jaffna) were highly commended and praised by the Government Authorities and Civil community of Jaffna. His directives to maintain Quarantine Centres, community assistance programmes, monitoring mechanism and disinfection programmes throughout the pandemic period safeguarded the Jaffna population from deadly virus.

The outgoing Commander Security Forces Jaffna, a Senior Officer with about 35 years service leaves an indelible mark in Jaffna as a professional soldier, diplomat and a visionary leader who strived to bring about change with the vision “TOGETHER WE REACH, UNITY IN DIVERSITY’’. We, www.cimicjaffna.com wishes him success in all future endeavours.