Three hundred and eighty-eight (388) naval recruits belonging to the 212 th Regular Intake of the Sri Lanka Navy passed out at SLNS Shiksha in Poonewa on 30 th July 2013.
Chief of Staff of the Navy, Rear Admiral Jayantha Perera graced the occasion as the Chief Guest and took the salute. Commander North Central Naval Area, Rear Admiral Sisira Jayakody, the senior naval officers, parents and well-wishers were also present on the occasion.
The 212 th Regular Intake, which comprised of 352 sailors and 36 women sailors, was trained at SLNS Shiksha in Poonewa. Woman Recruit DGJA Priyadarshani was adjudged the Best Recruit while Woman Recruit AANM Keerthirathana was selected the Recruit with the highest aggregate in all subjects. Recruit LPPP Amarasinghe won the award for the Best Sportsman while Woman Recruit MMPGWHMPEAD Dharmasena won the award for the Best Sportswoman. Recruit DMRP Dissanayake won the award for the Best Marksman. Sangamitta Division was selected the Best Division.
Addressing the gathering, Chief Guest, Rear Admiral Perera stated that on completion of their basic naval training, the newly-passed out naval personnel are now entrusted with a range of duties and responsibilities to perform. Their prime duty is to defend the country for the benefit of the future generations, not allowing terrorism to re-emerge, he further stated. Therefore, he requested the naval personnel to enhance their professional knowledge to keep abreast with the new knowledge and technologies in order to be efficient and professional naval personnel by utilizing the trainings and the experiences they receive during their naval career. He also thanked the staff of SLNS Shiksha for the excellent training imparted to the Regular Intake 212 and the parents for giving consent to their sons and daughters to join the Navy to render a noble service to their motherland.
[mappress] Press Release, July 31, 2013; Image: Sri Lanka Navy