Vikum Liyanage
Lieutenant General Vikum Liyanage විකුම් ලියනගේ RWP, RSP, ndu | |
|---|---|
 Liyanage at New Delhi in December 2023 | |
| Allegiance |  Sri Lanka |
| Service |  Sri Lanka Army |
| Years of service | 1987 - present |
| Rank |  Lieutenant General |
| Unit | Gajaba Regiment |
| Commands | Commander of the Army Chief of Staff of the Army 21 Division 215 Brigade 623 Brigade 8 Gajaba Regiment |
| Battles / wars | Eelam War IV Sri Lankan Civil War |
| Awards | |
| Spouse(s) | Janaki Liyanage |
| Children | A daughter and a son |
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.[1][2] 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.[3] Earlier, he served as the Commandant, Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force as a Major General.[4]
Early life
Liyanage attended Vijaya College, Matale, where he was reported to excel in athletics and hockey, and was described as a bright student, earning accolades for his college.[5]
Military career
Liyanage joined the Sri Lanka Army as an officer cadet on 27 October 1986 in the Regular Intake – 26. He got cadet training in the Sri Lanka Military Academy and in the Officers Training School, Mangla, Pakistan in 19th course. After successful completion of training, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Gajaba Regiment in 23 July 1987.[6]
As a Major, he served as the second-in-command of the 10 Gajaba Regiment; in the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, he served as the commanding officer of 8 Gajaba Regiment. In the rank of full colonel, he served as the sector commander of Operations Command (Colombo), acting brigade commanders of 225 and 553 Infantry Brigades; as a Brigadier, he served as the brigade commanders of 215, 542, 224, 221 and 623 Infantry Brigades. As a Major General, he was the division commander of 21 Division and also the commanders of the Security Forces Headquarters - West and Security Forces Headquarters - Central and later he served as the commandant of the Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force.
He has also served as director - psychological operations, director (doctrine and training) and director (operations and systems) in the Office of the Chief of Defence Staff (OCDS) as a Colonel; adjutant - General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University as a Major, staff officer - 2 (admin) - regimental centre of the Gajaba Regiment and staff officer 2 - directorate of staff duties at the Army HQ (as a Major).
Personal life
Liyanage is a past pupil of Vijaya College, Matale.[7][6] He is married to Janaki and the couple is blessed with a daughter and a son.
Awards and decorations
He has received some of the highest awards in the Sri Lankan armed forces, which includes the Rana Wickrama Padakkama and the Rana Sura Padakkama.
References
- ^ "Maj. Gen. Vikum Liyanage appointed as Army Commander". themorning.lk. 31 May 2022.
- ^ "Sri Lanka : Major General Vikum Liyanage appointed as the new Sri Lanka Army Commander". www.colombopage.com. Retrieved 2022-06-01.
- ^ "Major General Vikum Liyanage to be appointed as New Army Commander". NewsWire. 2022-05-26. Retrieved 2022-06-01.
- ^ "Major General Vikum Liyanage Appointed New Army Chief of Staff". Sri Lanka News - Newsfirst. 2021-12-07. Retrieved 2022-06-01.
- ^ "Commander of the Army | Sri Lanka Army". www.army.lk. Retrieved 2023-12-02.
- ^ a b "New Army Commander Lieutenant General Vikum Liyanage Assumes Duties". Sri Lanka News - Newsfirst. 2022-06-01. Retrieved 2022-06-01.
- ^ "Alma-Mater Felicitates Major General Vikum Liyanage". army.lk. Retrieved 2022-05-24.
- ^ 75th Independence Anniversary Commemoration Medal
External links
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