Lieutenant General K.V.N.P. Premaratne received his letter of appointment as the 26th Commander of the Sri Lanka Army from Presidential Secretary Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake at the Presidential Secretariat this afternoon (31). 

The appointment, on the instructions of Commander‑in‑Chief of the Armed Forces, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, takes effect from August 1, following the retirement of General Lasantha Rodrigo today. 

Major General K.V.N.P. Premaratne RSP, USP, nps, psc, who has been serving as the Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army, has also been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General. 

An old boy of St Servatius’ College, Matara, Lieutenant General Premaratne joined the Sri Lanka Army as an Officer Cadet in 1990. Upon successfully completing his basic military training at the Sri Lanka Military Academy, Diyatalawa, in 1992, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant and was subsequently posted to the Sri Lanka Artillery Regiment. 

Lieutenant General Premaratne holds a Master’s degree in Defence Studies from the Naval Postgraduate School in California, United States and a Master of Defence Studies (M. Def. S) degree from the University of Kelaniya. 

During his distinguished military career spanning 36 years, Lieutenant General Premaratne has completed numerous professional and specialist military training programmes in Sri Lanka and overseas. 

In recognition of his exceptional gallantry during the humanitarian operation, he has been awarded the Rana Sura Padakkama (RSP) on two occasions. He has also been awarded the Uttama Seva Padakkama (USP) in recognition of his distinguished service to the Sri Lanka Army. (Newswire)

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