Jagath Dias

Last updated

Jagath Dias
ජගත් ඩයස්

WWV, RWP, RSP, USP
BornDecember 26, 1960
Allegiance Sri Lanka
Service/branchFlag of the Sri Lankan Army.png  Sri Lanka Army
Years of service1980–2015
Rank Sri Lanka-army-OF-7.svg Major General
Unit Gajaba Regiment
Commands heldChief of Staff of the Army,
, General Officer Commanding, 56 Division
General Officer Commanding, 57 Division,
Commander of Special Forces Brigade,
Battles/wars Eelam War I, Eelam War II, Eelam War III, Eelam War IV, Sri Lankan Civil War
Other workDeputy Chief of Mission to the Sri Lanka Embassy in Berlin

Major General Jagath Dias, WWV, RWP, RSP, USP (born December 26, 1960) is a Sri Lankan general, who served as the Chief of Staff [1] [2] of the Sri Lanka Army. He was the General Officer Commanding, 57 Division and 56 Division. He was the Sri Lankan Deputy Ambassador to Germany, Switzerland and the Vatican. [3] [4] [5] [6]

Contents

Education

Educated at Ananda College, he is a graduate of the National Defence College, India.

Military career

Dias enlisted in the army after completing his schooling on 11 August 1980 undergoing officer training at the Sri Lanka Military Academy at Diyatalawa; and commissioned to the 1 Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment as a Second Lieutenant on 27 February 1982. Afterwards he received an Inter Regimental transfer to Gajaba Regiment and went on to serve as the Commanding Officer of the 10th Gajaba Battalion and later served the Officiating Commandant at the Regimental Headquarters of the Gajaba Regiment. He was promoted to the ranks of captain in 1986, major in 1994, lieutenant colonel in 1995 and had undertaken the Young Officers' Course, Senior Command Course, MCC Course, CIMIC Course and the Senior Crisis Management Seminar.

In 2000 he was promoted to colonel and was appointed Officiating Commander of Special Forces Brigade and Officiating Commander, 516 Brigade till 2001. In 2001 he was appointed Officiating Inspector Infantry, Army Headquarters till 2003. He was promoted to brigadier in 2005 and major general on 18 February 2008.

During his military career he held many appointments. The include; Adjutant General (2012–2014), Deputy Chief of Mission to the Sri Lanka Embassy in Berlin (2009–2011), General Officer Commanding 57 Division (2007–2009), General Officer Commanding 56 Division (2006–2007), Commander 233 Brigade (2005–2006), Commandant, Infantry Training Centre, Officiating Commander for 534 Brigade (2003–2004), Officiating Inspector Infantry, Army Headquarters (2001–2003), Officiating Commander, 516 Brigade (2000–2001), Coordinating Officer Ariyalai, Officiating Commander, 551 Brigade, Commander 553 Brigade, Officiating Colonel GS, Directorate of Operations, Army Headquarters, Officiating Commandant Gajaba Regiment Regimental Headquarters, Commanding Officer, 10 Gajaba Regiment and many other appointments.

Foreign assignments reported by the military include: Pakistan, Qatar, Oman, US, India, Czech Republic, Turkey, China, Russian Federation, Australia, Germany & South Korea.

If a nation forgets its past it is certainly not focused to face the future

Jagath Dias

YearPosition Held
2000Officiating Commander of Special Forces Brigade
2000-2001Officiating Commander, 516 Brigade
2001-2003Officiating Inspector Infantry, Army Headquarters
2003-2004Commandant, Infantry Training Center, Officiating Commander, 534 Brigade
2005-2006Commander 233 Brigade (note: this is during the final war in the East)
2006-2007General Officer Commanding 56 Division
2007 Feb57 Division created (consisting of 571, 572, 573 Brigades and then in October 2008 the 574 Brigade was added)
2007-2009Appointed General Officer Commanding 57 Division
2009-2011Deputy Chief of Mission to the Sri Lanka Embassy in Berlin (Also accredited to Switzerland and the Vatican)
2012–2014Adjutant General for the Sri Lankan Army
2014 JanSecurity Force Commander Mullaitivu
2015-201646th Chief of Staff of the Army

General Jagath Dias led the 57 Division; he did a tremendous task because it was his responsibility to regain Kilinochchi. He was there from the very beginning of the Humanitarian Operations till the very last minute.

Gotabhaya Rajapaksa

Family

He is married to Sharanki and they have two sons and a daughter.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vijaya Wimalaratne</span> Sri Lankan Army Officer

Major General Vanigamuni Indrajith Vijeyakumar Mendis Wimalaratne, RWP, RSP, VSV, USP was a senior Sri Lanka Army officer. One of the most distinguished field commanders in Sri Lanka, Wimalaratne raised the Gajaba Regiment, he commanded the 1st Brigade during the Vadamarachchi Operation, he commanded the Amphibious Task Force Commander during Operation Balavegaya and was the Commander Security Forces – Jaffna at the time of his death in a land mine explosion at Point Arali in the Kayts Island while making preparations to re-capture Jaffna.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sri Lanka Armoured Corps</span> Military unit

The Sri Lanka Armoured Corps (SLAC) provides the armour capability of the Sri Lanka Army, with vehicles such as the T-55AM2, and type 80/88 main battle tanks; the BMP infantry fighting vehicle; and the BTR-80, and WZ551 armoured personnel carriers. It comprises five regular armoured regiments, a volunteer regiment, and a regimental band. It has an independent Armoured Brigade and is headquartered at Rock House Army Camp, Colombo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment</span> Military unit

The Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment (SLSR) is an infantry regiment of the Sri Lanka Army; it is the second oldest infantry regiment in the army.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gajaba Regiment</span> Military unit

The Gajaba Regiment (GR) is an elite infantry regiment of the Sri Lankan Army. Formed on 14 October 1983 at the Saliyapura Camp in Anuradhapura, it is named after the famous Sinhalese King Gajabahu the First. It consists of 14 regular battalions and 6 volunteer battalions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gemunu Watch</span> Military unit

The Gemunu Watch (GW) ("King Dutugemunu's Own") is a infantry regiment of the Sri Lanka Army, formed with troops from the Ceylon Light Infantry and the Ceylon Sinha Regiment in 1962. It has been deployed in many major operations against the LTTE. It is made up of 14 regular units and 9 volunteer units. Headquartered at Kuruwita Army Camp, Ratnapura. It is named after one of the most famous Lankan Kings, King Dutugemunu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment</span> Military unit

The Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Sri Lankan Army. Formed on 22 March 1988, it is named after Vijayabahu I of Polonnaruwa. The regiment consists of 17 regular battalions, 9 volunteer battalions and a headquarters battalion. Since 1993, its Regimental Centre is located at the Boyagane Camp, Kurunegala.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tissa Weeratunga</span> Sri Lanka Army general and diplomat (1930–2003)

General Tissa Indraka Weeratunga, VSV was a Sri Lankan general. He was the former Commander of the Sri Lankan Army and the first General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Joint Operations Headquarters (JOH), he was later Sri Lanka's High Commissioner to Canada from 1986 till 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jagath Jayasuriya</span> Sri Lanka Army officer

General Jagath Jayasuriya, VSV, USP is a retired senior Sri Lanka Army officer; he was the Chief of Defence Staff, the head of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces as a Full General from 1 August 2013 to 15 June 2015 and Commander of the Sri Lanka Army, the head of the army as a Lieutenant General from 15 July 2009 to 31 July 2013. During the closing stages of the Sri Lankan Civil War, he served as the Commander Security Forces Headquarters - Wanni with overall command of SLA offensives in the Wanni region during the 2008 - 2009 period. He was also the Sri Lankan Ambassador to Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru and Suriname from June 2014 to August 2017.

Major General Nandana Udawatta, RSP, USP, psc, SLAC is a Sri Lankan general. He has served as the Master General Ordnance, Commander Security Forces Headquarters - Jaffna, Commander Security Forces Headquarters - Mullaittivu and was the general officer commanding, 59 Division during the SLA offensives in the Wanni region during 2008 - 2009 period that led to a major victory for the SLA over the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the Sri Lankan civil war.

General Shavendra Silva, is a Sri Lanka Army four star general who is the current Chief of Defence Staff, the head of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces serving from 1 January 2020. He also served as the Commander of the Sri Lanka Army from 19 August 2019 to 31 May 2022. His other important appointments include, Chief of Staff of the army, Adjutant General and Director of Operations of the Army. During the Sri Lankan civil war he gained fame as the General Officer Commanding of the elite 58 Division. He had also served as the Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Headquarters.

General Shantha H.S. Kottegoda, WWV, RWP, RSP, VSV, USP is a retired senior Sri Lanka Army general. He was the seventeenth commander of the Sri Lankan Army from 1 July 2004 – 5 December 2005. He had served as the Sri Lankan Ambassador to Brazil and Thailand. In April 2019, following the Easter Sunday bombings he was appointed as the permanent secretary to the Ministry of Defence.

Major General Y. Balaretnarajah, VSV, USP, ndc is a retired Sri Lankan army officer. He had served as Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army, Commandant of the Volunteer Force and Commander - Jaffna Security Forces. He has commanded the 1 Division, Armoured Brigade, 21 Brigade and 24 Brigade.

G. D. H. Kamal Gunaratne, WWV, RWP, RSP, USP is a retired Sri Lankan army general. He is the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence and the State Ministry of National Security and Disaster Management. A retired career officer of the Sri Lanka Army, Gunaratne had served as the former Commander Security Forces Headquarters - Wanni, general officer commanding (GOC), 53 Division and was a former Deputy Ambassador to Brazil. He was the GOC of the 53 Division which killed the LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran at Nandikadal, Mullaitivu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crishanthe de Silva</span> Sri Lanka Army general

General Akurathiya Withanage Jagath Crishanthe de Silva, RWP, USP is a retired senior Sri Lanka Army officer. He had served as the Commander of the Sri Lanka Army from 22 February 2015 to 4 July 2017, as the Chief of Defence Staff from 29 June 2017 to 21 August 2017. Later he was appointed as the Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Bangladesh.

Major General A. K. Sumedha Perera, WWV, RWP, RSP, USP is a retired Sri Lankan general. He is the Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Mahaweli, Agriculture, Irrigation and Rural Development; and former Deputy Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army.

Major General Jagath Gunawardena, RSP, VSV, USP was a Sri Lankan senior army general. He was the Chief of Staff of the Sri Lankan Army, having served as the Commandant of the Volunteer Force, Commander, Security Forces Headquarters – Wanni and Master General of Ordnance. He served as the Colonel Commandant of the Sri Lanka Engineers.

14 CBRN Regiment, Sri Lanka Engineers is a regiment of the Sri Lanka Army that focuses on countering chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) hazards in the country. The Sri Lanka Navy and Sri Lanka Air Force also maintain CBRN units in addition to the Army's CBRN regiment. The regiment evolved from the first CBRN squadron that Major General Jagath Gunawardena, the current colonel-commandant of Sri Lanka Engineers, established.

Major General Rasika Fernando, RSP, ndc was a Sri Lankan senior army general. He was the Deputy Chief of Staff of Sri Lankan Army, having served as the, Commander, Security Forces Headquarters – East. He is the Colonel Commandant of the Sri Lanka National Guard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vikum Liyanage</span> Sri Lankan general

Lieutenant General H.L.V.M. Liyanage, widely known as Vikum Liyanage, is a Sri Lanka Army general. He is the current Commander of the Sri Lanka Army serving from 1 June 2022. Prior to become the army commander, he was the 59th Chief of Staff of the Army. On 1 June 2022, Liyanage assumed as the 24th Commander of Sri Lanka Army. Earlier, he served as the Commandant, Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force as a Major General.

Major General Sanjaya Wanasinghe RSP, VSV, USP, VSP is a retired general in the Sri Lanka Army. He served as the Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army, having served as the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army, Commandant of the Volunteer Force and Commander, Security Forces Headquarters – Mullaitivu. He is the Colonel Commandant of the Sri Lanka Artillery.

References

  1. "Army Yet To Find Chief Of Staff After Jagath Dias Retirement: 24 Major Generals To Leave Next Year". asianmirror.lk. Retrieved 26 February 2016.
  2. "Jagath Dias new Army Chief of Staff". Daily Mirror. 14 May 2015. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
  3. "Criminal complaint against Major General Jagath Dias". BBC. 4 August 2011. Retrieved 23 August 2014.
  4. "Army closes in on key Jaffna pass". BBC. 5 January 2009. Retrieved 23 August 2014.
  5. "Maj. Gen. Dias denied Aussie visa over C-4 allegations". Island. December 5, 2013. Retrieved 23 August 2014.
  6. "Dias refused of participation in ICRC meet for alleged war crimes". Tamilnet. 31 October 2013. Retrieved 23 August 2014.