The Sri Lankan Armed Forces award medals and their associated ribbon bars in recognition of various levels of service, personal accomplishments and commemorative events while a regular- or volunteer serviceperson is a member of the Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy and the Sri Lanka Air Force. Together with military badges, such awards are a means to outwardly display the highlights of a serviceperson's career.
The Uttama Seva Padakkama is presented to all ranks of the regular forces of the Sri Lankan military for:
...valuable service and devotion to duty marked by exceptional ability, merit and exemplary conduct provided they count not less than 15 years continuous and uninterrupted service and possess and unblemished record of moral and military conduct...
The Karyakshama Seva Vibhushanaya is a service medal awarded by the Military of Sri Lanka to commissioned officers of the Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force, in recognition of "...long, meritorious, loyal and valuable service of proven capacity". Established on 7 January 1986, it does not confer any individual precedence.
Admiral Wannakuwatta Waduge Erwin Clancy Fernando VSV, USP, MSc, ndc, psc, MNI, SLN was the Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy from 1 November 1991 to 16 November 1992. He was assassinated by the LTTE in 1992, as the most senior officer in the Sri Lankan military to be killed in the line of duty.
The Sri Lanka Volunteer Naval Force (SLVNF) is the volunteer and volunteer reserve force of the Sri Lanka Navy, established in 1937 as the Ceylon Naval Volunteer Force. It is headquartered at SLNS Lanka, Welisara, and is tasked with a support and complementary role to the country's navy, partly by serving as a pool of civilian talent and expertise otherwise lacking in the regular naval force, and partly by acting as a reserve force during times of war.
The Karyakshama Seva Padakkama is a service medal awarded by the Military of Sri Lanka to all servicepersons of the Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force in recognition of "...long, meritorious, loyal and valuable service of proven capacity". Established on 7 January 1986, the medal does not confer any individual precedence.
The Prashansaniya Seva Vibhushanaya is a military decoration awarded to officers of the Sri Lanka Volunteer Naval Force in recognition of excellent service, inaugurated on 31 January 2000. The medal does not confer any individual precedence, and is equivalent to the Reserve Decoration of the Royal Navy.
The Prashansaniya Seva Padakkama is a medal awarded by the Military of Sri Lanka to all noncomissioned officers and seamen of the Sri Lanka Volunteer Naval Force in recognition of "long, meritorious, loyal, valuable, service and unblemished conduct". It was established on 31 January 2000, and does not confer any individual precedence.
The Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal is a service award presented to all ranks of the tri-forces of Sri Lanka. Service personnel are eligible for the award on the completion of 12 years' continuous service with perfect character and discipline. General officers commanding/area commanders/commanding officers forward recommendations to service commanders. Reserve- or volunteer forces may qualify for this award provided that their service periods add up to 12 years.
The Republic of Sri Lanka Armed Services Medal was awarded to members of the regular and volunteer forces of the Military of Sri Lanka who were in service on 22 May 1972, subject to recommendation by the commanders of the respective service commanders. Members of the then Ceylon Cadet Corps were ineligible. The award commemorated service at the time the country adopted a republican constitution, ceasing to be a Commonwealth realm.
General Deshamanya Joseph Everard Denis Perera, VSV, FCMI was a senior Sri Lanka Army officer who served as Commander of the Sri Lankan Army from 1977 to 1981. He was also the Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Australia, Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Ceylon Tobacco Company and Chancellor of General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University. He envisioned for a women's corps in the army which resulted in the creation of the Sri Lanka Army Women's Corps in 1979.
General Tissa Indraka Weeratunga, VSV was a Sri Lanka general. He was a former Commander of the Sri Lankan Army and first General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Joint Operations Headquarters (JOH), he was later Sri Lanka's High Commissioner to Canada.
The Ceylon Armed Services Inauguration Medal was awarded to members of the Ceylon armed services who served within their specific service branch during periods in 1949-1951 when their service branch was established:
Admiral Deshamanya D. Basil Gunasekara, ndc, psc, SLN was the Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy from 1973 to 1979.
General Ganegoda Appuhamelage Don Granville Nalin Seneviratne, VSV, ndc, SLE was a Sri Lankan Army officer. He was the Commander of the Sri Lankan Army from 1985 to 1988 and first Governor of the North East Province.
The Sri Lanka Armed Forces is the overall unified military of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka encompassing the Sri Lanka Army, the Sri Lanka Navy, and the Sri Lanka Air Force; they are governed by the Ministry of Defence (MoD). The three services have around 346,700 active personnel; conscription has never been imposed in Sri Lanka. The Sri Lanka Coast Guard is also under the purview of the Ministry of Defence but is staffed by civilian personnel.
Major General E. George Thevanayagam, VSV was a Sri Lankan military leader, he served as the Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army, Commandant of the Volunteer Force, and later first Director of the National Cadet Corps.
General Hamilton Wanasinghe, VSV is a retired Sri Lankan Army officer. He served as the 11th Commander of the Sri Lankan Army (1988–1991), third General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Joint Operations Headquarters (JOH) (1991–1993) and Permanent Secretary for Defense.
General Lionel P. Balagalle RWP, RSP, VSV, USP, VSP was Sri Lankan general. He served as Commander of the Sri Lanka Army and Chief of the Defence Staff.
Vice Admiral Hikkaduwage Ananda Silva, VSV was a senior Sri Lankan naval officer. Who was the 11th Commander of the Sri Lankan Navy.
