Nihal Hapuarachchi
Encyclopedia
Brigadier
H. A. Nihal Hapuarachchi, RSP
, psc, SLE
is a Sri Lankan Army
officer and a military engineer
, who is the current military spokesman, former Brigade Commander, 51-3 Brigade and Commandant
, School of Military Engineering
. He was also the former Director Recruitment
Educated at the prestigious Royal College, Colombo, he captained the college volleyball
team and won colours for three sports in 1978. He joined the Sri Lanka Army in 1982 as Officer Cadet
, following basic training at the Sri Lanka Military Academy
, where won the President's Medal; he was commissioned in to the Sri Lanka Engineers
in as a Second Lieutenant
. Hapuarachchi is a graduate of the Command and Staff College
, Asia Pacific Centre for Security Studies, Hawaii and holds a MBA from the University of Rajarata. He has under gone training at the College of Military Engineering, Pune, Military College of Engineering, Risalpur and at the Indian College of Defence Management.
During his military service he had served as commanding officer
of the 7th Field Engineer Regiment SLE, Chief Instructor at the Sri Lanka Military Academy as well as serving as a staff officer at the former Joint Operational Command
, Volunteer Force Headquarters
and as Brigadier, general staff
at Security Forces Headquarters – Wanni during the height of the Sri Lankan civil war
. Proir to taking up duties as the military spokesman he was the brigadier coordinating of the Defence Services Command and Staff College
.
General Nanayakkara has received the Rana Sura Padakkama
(RSP), the Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal
, the Riviresa Campaign Services Medal
, the Purna Bhumi Padakkama
and the North and East Operations Medal
.
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
H. A. Nihal Hapuarachchi, RSP
Rana Sura Padakkama
The Rana Sura Padakkama is a medal presented to members of all ranks of the Military of Sri Lanka for individual and/or associated acts of heroism in facing the enemy and performed of their own accord. The decoration is presented by the President of Sri Lanka...
, psc, SLE
Sri Lanka Engineers
http://fieldengineers.lk/The Sri Lanka Engineers a combat support arms of the Sri Lanka Army which provides combat engineering. It is made up of ten Regular Regiments and one Volunteer Regiments. Headquartered at Army Cantonment, Panagoda...
is a Sri Lankan Army
Sri Lankan Army
The Sri Lanka Army is the oldest and largest of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces and is responsible for land-based military and humanitarian operations. Established as the Ceylon Army in 1949, it was renamed when Sri Lanka became a republic in 1972...
officer and a military engineer
Military engineer
In military science, engineering refers to the practice of designing, building, maintaining and dismantling military works, including offensive, defensive and logistical structures, to shape the physical operating environment in war...
, who is the current military spokesman, former Brigade Commander, 51-3 Brigade and Commandant
Commandant
Commandant is a senior title often given to the officer in charge of a large training establishment or academy. This usage is common in anglophone nations...
, School of Military Engineering
School of Military Engineering
School of Military Engineering may refer to a training institution for military engineering such as:*Royal School of Military Engineering of the British Army*College of Military Engineering, Pune of the Indian Army...
. He was also the former Director Recruitment
Educated at the prestigious Royal College, Colombo, he captained the college volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
team and won colours for three sports in 1978. He joined the Sri Lanka Army in 1982 as Officer Cadet
Officer Cadet
Officer cadet is a rank held by military and merchant navy cadets during their training to become commissioned officers and merchant navy officers, respectively. The term officer trainee is used interchangeably in some countries...
, following basic training at the Sri Lanka Military Academy
Sri Lanka Military Academy
The Sri Lanka Military Academy , commonly known simply as Diyatalawa, is the Sri Lanka Army's officer initial training centre located in the garrison town of Diyatalawa in the central highlands of Sri Lanka....
, where won the President's Medal; he was commissioned in to the Sri Lanka Engineers
Sri Lanka Engineers
http://fieldengineers.lk/The Sri Lanka Engineers a combat support arms of the Sri Lanka Army which provides combat engineering. It is made up of ten Regular Regiments and one Volunteer Regiments. Headquartered at Army Cantonment, Panagoda...
in as a Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
. Hapuarachchi is a graduate of the Command and Staff College
Command and Staff College
The Command and Staff College was established in 1907 at Quetta, Balochistan, British Raj, now in Pakistan, and is the oldest and the most prestigious institution of the Pakistan Army. It was established in 1905 in Deolali and moved to its present location at Quetta in 1907 under the name of Quetta...
, Asia Pacific Centre for Security Studies, Hawaii and holds a MBA from the University of Rajarata. He has under gone training at the College of Military Engineering, Pune, Military College of Engineering, Risalpur and at the Indian College of Defence Management.
During his military service he had served as commanding officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
of the 7th Field Engineer Regiment SLE, Chief Instructor at the Sri Lanka Military Academy as well as serving as a staff officer at the former Joint Operational Command
Office of the Chief of Defence Staff
The Office of the Chief of Defence Staff is the Sri Lanka Armed Forces operational level headquarters of the Chief of the Defence Staff , responsible for coordinating joint armed force's operations. However the respective service commands have much autonomy for their deployments. It was formally...
, Volunteer Force Headquarters
Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force
The Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force is the principal and Volunteer reserve force component of the Sri Lanka Army. It is a collective name for the reserve units and the Sri Lanka National Guard of the Sri Lankan Army. The SLAVF is made up of part-time Officers and soldiers paid at a similar rate,...
and as Brigadier, general staff
General Staff
A military staff, often referred to as General Staff, Army Staff, Navy Staff or Air Staff within the individual services, is a group of officers and enlisted personnel that provides a bi-directional flow of information between a commanding officer and subordinate military units...
at Security Forces Headquarters – Wanni during the height of the Sri Lankan civil war
Sri Lankan civil war
The Sri Lankan Civil War was a conflict fought on the island of Sri Lanka. Beginning on July 23, 1983, there was an on-and-off insurgency against the government by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , a separatist militant organization which fought to create an independent Tamil state named Tamil...
. Proir to taking up duties as the military spokesman he was the brigadier coordinating of the Defence Services Command and Staff College
Defence Services Command and Staff College
The Defence Services Command and Staff College is situated at Batalanda, Makola 12 Kilometers away from Colombo and its aim to develop the professional knowledge and understanding of experienced officers of the Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy & the Sri Lanka Air Force to prepare them for the ranks...
.
General Nanayakkara has received the Rana Sura Padakkama
Rana Sura Padakkama
The Rana Sura Padakkama is a medal presented to members of all ranks of the Military of Sri Lanka for individual and/or associated acts of heroism in facing the enemy and performed of their own accord. The decoration is presented by the President of Sri Lanka...
(RSP), the Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal
Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal
The Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal shall be granted to All regular officers and other ranks of the Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy and Sri Lanka Air Force, who complete 12 years continuous service and whose character and conduct have been irreproachable and who are recommended by their...
, the Riviresa Campaign Services Medal
Riviresa Campaign Services Medal
The Riviresa Campaign Services Medal is presented to all ranks of the Regular and Volunteer Forces of the military of the Republic of Sri Lanka and to those who have served in Operation Riviresa.-Who received the medal:...
, the Purna Bhumi Padakkama
Purna Bhumi Padakkama
The Purna Bhumi Padakkama is presented to all ranks of the Regular and Volunteer Forces of the military of the Republic of Sri Lanka and the Sri Lanka Police, who have served in the districts of:* Jaffna since July 22, 1977....
and the North and East Operations Medal
North and East Operations Medal
The North and East Operations Medal is presented to all ranks of the Regular and Volunteer Forces of the military of the Republic of Sri Lanka and the Sri Lanka Police, who have served in the Norther and Eastern provinces for an accumulated period of 3 years since July 23, 1983.-Areas of service...
.