SIGNALLERS SALUTED THEIR RETIRING COLONEL COMMANDANT
Sri Lanka Signal Corps bid farewell to the outgoing Colonel Commandant Major General K R P Rowel RWP USP ndu psc USACGSC on 15th April 2017 who retired after serving more than 35 years in the Regular Force of the Sri Lanka Army. The ceremony was held in its formal way with military traditions at the Signals Regimental Headquarters premises in Panagoda.\r\n\r\nThe commencement of the ceremony marked the ceremonial Guard Turnout awarded at the main entrance. Then the Colonel Commandant laid a floral wreath at the Regiment Monument paying obeisance to the fallen heroes of the Sri Lanka Signal Corps who made supreme sacrifice to the motherland that was followed by presenting the Regimental Parade of all regular and volunteer units together with the School of Signals in honour of the most senior Signal Officer.\r\n\r\nThe day\'s event also textured with the addressing of the Senior NCOs, courtesy mid-tea offered at the Warrant Officers\' and Sergeants\' Mess, the discussion with the senior officers, the All Ranks Lunch and handing over the Colonel Commandant\'s official \"Staff\". At the end of the day, the formal Farewell Dinner was hosted by all officers of the Corps of Signals at the Signals Regimental Officers\' Mess as tribute for both Colonel Commandant Major General K R P Rowel and the Chairperson of the Signal Seva Vanitha Branch Mrs Ramya Kumari Rowel.\r\n\r\n Colonel Commandant commented in his speeches during the functions of addressing the Senior NCOs, All Ranks Lunch and at the formal Farewell Dinner that extending his heartfelt gratitude for the generous assistance offered in vivid ways by All Ranks for the success of his tour of duty while requesting all to exemplarily commit for the professional accomplishment of the Corps. \r\n\r\nMajor General Rowel joined the Service on 1st October 1981 as an Officer Cadet of Intake-2 of the then General Sir John Kotelawala Defence Academy. At the end of the successful training, he was awarded with the prestigious \'Sward of Honor\' as he had secured the first in the order of merit in his intake, and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant on 1st January 1985. At the time of his initial posting to the Corps of Signals, he was a qualified Engineer as he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering awarded by the University of Moratuwa. Since then, he has hitherto rendered his dedicated duty, honour and respect to the Corps of Signals as well as to the Army as an authentic Signaller, in the best of his ability in all the assignments entrusted to him until he was granted his retirement on 15th April 2017 at the completion of his altruistic service in the Army as a Major General with a professional status of a Chartered Engineer.\r\n \r\nAt his retirement, on the recommendation of the Commander of the Army, Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces and His Excellency the President has recalled Maj General Rowel into the active service from 16th April 2017 onward in order to continue his service as the Director General of the Research, Analysis, Project and Development Branch of the Sri Lanka Army. \r\n
