Deputy Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army

Last updated
Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army
Incumbent
Major General S.P.A.I.M.B Samarakoon
Sri Lanka Army
TypeVery senior army post
StatusTwo star general
AbbreviationDCOS
Reports to Commander of the Army
Residence Colombo
Seat Army HQ
Nominator President of Sri Lanka
Appointer President of Sri Lanka
Term length Not fixed
Formation1994

Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army (DoSA) has been the title of the third in command of the Sri Lanka Army created in 1994. The post is held by a regular officer of the rank of Major General and is the third senior position in the army. Deputy of Staff is charged with assisting the Chief of Staff of the Army in both operational and administrative aspects, functioning as the Acting Army Commander in his absences or incantation.

Contents

List of Deputy Chiefs of Staff

NoDeputy Chief of StaffTook officeLeft officeUnit of commissionNotes
1 Major General Rohan Daluwatte 1 June 1995 Ceylon Armoured Corps Later Major General Rohan Daluwatte was appointed as 26th Chief of Staff of Sri Lanka Army and later as 14th Commander of the Army and promoted to Lieutenant General. On his retirement he was promoted to General.
2 Major General W. R. Wijerathne1995 Gemunu Watch
3 Major General A. M. U. Seneviratne199530 April 1996 Ceylon Light Infantry Later Major General A. M. U. Seneviratne was appointed as 27th Chief of Staff of Sri Lanka Army.
4 Major General Gemunu Kulatunge 1996October 1996 Ceylon Sinha Regiment
5 Major General Srilal Weerasooriya October 199622 February 1998 Ceylon Artillery Later Major General Srilal Weerasooriya was appointed as 29th Chief of Staff of Sri Lanka Army and later as 15th Commander of the Army and promoted to Lieutenant General. On his retirement he was promoted to General.
6 Major General Jaliya Nammuni6 September 1998 Ceylon Sinha Regiment
7 Major General Asoka Jayawardena 6 September 199812 November 1998 Ceylon Light Infantry
8 Major General S. T. T. (Sathis) Jayasundera Rajarata Rifles / Gajaba Regiment
9 Major General L. P. Balagalle February 19991 April 1999 Ceylon Artillery Later Major General Lionel Balagalle was appointed as 31st Chief of Staff of Sri Lanka Army and later as 16th Commander of the Army and promoted to Lieutenant General. On 10 October 2003, he was appointed as Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) as serving army commander.
10 Major General Janaka Perera 1999 April14 June 2000 Ceylon Engineers Later Major General Janaka Perera was appointed as 32nd Chief of Staff of Sri Lanka Army
11 Major General Neil DiasJune 20001 February 2001 Ceylon Armoured Corps Later Major General Neil Dias appointed as 33rd Chief of Staff of Sri Lanka Army.
12 Major General Lohan Gunawardena1 February 200113 April 2002 Gemunu Watch Later Major General Lohan Gunawardena appointed as 34th Chief of Staff of Sri Lanka Army.
13 Major General A.E.D. Wijendra13 April 200231 August 2003 Sri Lanka Engineers
14 Major General Shantha Kottegoda 13 August 200323 November 2003 Ceylon Light Infantry Later Major General Shantha Kottegoda was appointed as 35th Chief of Staff of Sri Lanka army and later as 17th Commander of the Army and promoted to Lieutenant General. On his retirement he was promoted to General.
15 Major General Chula Seneviratne23 November 200330 June 2004 Ceylon Signals Corps Later Major General Chula Seneviratne was appointed as 36th Chief of Staff of Sri Lanka army.
16 Major General Sarath Fonseka 1 July 20049 December 2004 Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment Later Major General Sarath Fonseka was appointed as 37th Chief of Staff of Sri Lanka Army and later as 18th Commander of the Army and promoted to Lieutenant General. At the end of the war he was promoted to General, becoming the first army commander to hold a full General rank. On 15 July 2009 he was the first person appointed CDS under the newly approved Chief of Defence Staff Act. On On 22 March 2015, he was promoted to Field Marshal.
17 Major General M.D.S. Chandrapala9 December 20046 December 2005 Sri Lanka Engineers
18 Major General Parami Kulatunga 6 December 200524 June 2006  † Gemunu Watch Major General Kulatunga was posthumously promoted to the rank of lieutenant general effective from 28 June 2006.
19 Major General D.V.S.Y. Kulatunga24 July 20063 February 2007 Sri Lanka Armoured Corps
20 Major General N Wijesinghe3 February 20075 February 2008 Sri Lanka Artillery
21 Major General Upul Perera7 May 200929 January 2010 Sri Lanka Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
22 Major General A.L.R. Wijetunga22 November 201011 July 2012 Sri Lanka Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
23 Major General Piyal Abeysekera 12 July 20128 May 2014 Sri Lanka Signals Corps
24 Major General Mahinda Ambanpola2 June 201415 February 2016 Engineer Services Regiment
25 Major General K.A.S. Perera16 February 201630 September 2016 Rajarata Rifles / Gajaba Regiment
26 Major General Channa Gunathilaka 1 November 201615 December 2016 Sri Lanka Engineers Later Major General Channa Gunathilaka was appointed as 49th Chief of Staff of Sri Lanka army.
27 Major General R.V. Udawatte15 December 2016July 2017 Sri Lanka Army Ordnance Corps
28 Major General Dampath Fernando 4 August 201726 March 2018 Gemunu Watch Later Major General Dampath Fernando was appointed as 52nd Chief of Staff of Sri Lanka army.
29 Major General Ajith Kariyakarawana18 April 201821 April 2019 Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment
30 Major General Vajira PalihakkaraApril 2018June 2019*Acting Deputy Chief of Staff
31 Major General Kumudu Perera4 July 201929 October 2019 Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment
32 Major General Nirmal Dharmaratne22 November 201919 April 2020 Gajaba Regiment
33 Major General Rasika Fernando 2 June 202030 September 2020 Gajaba Regiment
34 Major General Duminda Sirinaga1 October 20208 January 2021 Sri Lanka Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
35 Major General Wasantha Madola14 January 20217 September 2021 Sri Lanka Corps of Military Police
36 Major General Sampath Kotuwegoda8 September 202121 December 2021 Sri Lanka Artillery
37 Major General Jagath Kodithuwakku 21 December 20217 June 2022 Sri Lanka Light Infantry Later Major General Jagath Kodithuwakku was appointed as 60th Chief of Staff of Sri Lanka army.
38 Major General Channa Weerasuriya 16 June 202229 November 2022 Sri Lanka Light Infantry Later Major General Channa Weerasuriya was appointed as 61st Chief of Staff of Sri Lanka army.
39 Major General Sujeewa Senarath Yapa 14 December 20228 June 2023 Sri Lanka Army Special Forces Regiment
40 Major General Sanjaya Wanasinghe 8 June 202314 July 2023 Sri Lanka Artillery Later Major General Sanjaya Wanasinghe was appointed as 62nd Chief of Staff of Sri Lanka Army.
41 Major General C.D Ranasinghe18 July 202327 October 2023 Gajaba Regiment
42 Major General G.R.R.P Jayawardena21 November 202308 December 2023 Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment
43 Major General S.P.A.I.M.B Samarakoon15 December 2023November 2024 Sri Lanka Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
44 Major General B.K.G.M.L Rodrigo28 November 202430 December 2024 Sri Lanka Artillery Later Major General B.K.G.M.L Rodrigo was appointed as 25th Commander of the Army and promoted to Lieutenant General.
45 Major General M.G.W.W.W.M.C.B. Wickramasinghe2 January 2025 Gajaba Regiment

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