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Seasoned battlefield leader for new army chief
View(s):Major-General Daya Ratnayake will take over as the 20th Commander of the Sri Lanka Army on August 1. Currently Chief-of-Staff of the Sri Lanka Army, Gen. Ratnayake will also be promoted to Lieutenant-General effective from the same date. The current army commander, Jagath Jayasuriya has been promoted from Lieutenant-General to the rank of four-star General and will take over as Chief of Defence Staff on August 1.
Major-General Daya Ratnayake
The Chief of Defence Staff, Air Vice Marshal Roshan Goonetileke, will retire from military service when the new appointments take effect. Gen. Ratnayake, a past pupil of Maliyadeva College, Kurunegala, joined the army in February 1980. He was commissioned as Second Lieutenant in July 1981. He is attached to the Sri Lanka Light Infantry (SLLI) regiment.
Before his appointment as 43rd Chief-of-Staff, Gen Ratnayake held the post of Commissioner-General of Rehabilitation. He was General Officer Commanding of 23 Division in Welikanda during the Vakarai and Thoppigala operations in the East, and was military spokesman prior to that.
Gen. Ratnayake served as Commander, Forward Maintenance Area (North) from August 2007 to August 2009. Other key appointments include: Chief of Military Staff at Ministry of Defence (2003-2004); Area Commander, Kandy (2002-2003); Commandant, SLLI Regimental Headquarters (2001-2002); officiating Commander for 533 & 534 Brigades (1998-2000); Commanding Officer, Officer Cadet Training Wing, Sri Lanka Military Academy, Diyatalawa (1996-1998); Regimental Adjutant, SLLI (1991-1992).
As an Infantry officer, Gen Ratnayake undertook a number of local and foreign training courses including the Commando Officers Course (India), Infantry Young Officers Course (India), Battalion Special Weapons Course (India), Infantry Staff Officer Course (USA), Junior Commander Course (India), Staff Course (Bangladesh), Senior Commander Course (India), Infantry Course (USA), Management Course (India) and National Defence University Course (China).
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