Having served more than 33 years in an exemplary manner, Major General Deepal Hathurusinghe, scheduled to retire shortly during the meeting with the Army Chief received kudos from Lieutenant General Vikum Liyanage for his capacity, commitment, and dedication to the Army.

He also refreshed memories of the retiree’s invaluable sacrifices and dedicated roles during the height of the war against terrorism as a Logistic Officer before May 2009. "You efficiently ensured an uninterrupted supply of essentials to the battlefields and took care of all the logistics without any hindrance whatsoever at a time the fighting with the enemy was fierce and decisive. This was a demanding task and you fearlessly performed all those responsibilities with precision, for which all of us are grateful," the Commander remarked.

The Army Chief while sharing a few pleasantries with the guests also inquired into the retiring Senior Officer's future endeavours and plans and wished him good luck. He also did not mince words to commend the invaluable support that has been given by his family members throughout, supporting the duty roles of the outgoing Senior Officer on duty at ground level.

The retiring Senior Officer also in turn thanked the Commander of the Army for his wishes and guidance while mentioning the encouragement he received in the performance of his duties. Towards the end of the interaction, Lieutenant General Vikum Liyanage awarded a special memento to the outgoing Major General Deepal Hathurusinghe as a symbol of appreciation and commendation, along with a special gift to the family.

The SLEME Regiment-groomed Senior Officer during his tenure of office served many key command and staff appointments in island-wide Army establishments before he was appointed as the Commander, Forward Maintenance Area - Central. Enlisted in the Regular Force of the Sri Lanka Army as an Officer Cadet on 06 October 1988 to General Sir John Kotelawala Defence Academy, Ratmalana, he was commissioned in the rank of Second Lieutenant and subsequently posted to the SLEME Regiment on 05 October 1990 upon successful completion of military training at the Sri Lanka Military Academy - Diyatalawa.

Some of the key appointments he held during his more than three-decade of service included the office of the Commanding Officer of the 1st Battalion Sri Lanka Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, Logistic Commander, United Nations Peacekeeping Operations, Force Protection Unit in Haiti, Colonel (Administration and Quartering), Security Force Headquarters -Mullaittivu, Commandant, School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, Commandant, Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Base Workshop, Colonel (Administration and Quartering), Headquarters 24 Division, Brigadier (Administration and Quartering), Security Force Headquarters (Kilinochchi), Director, Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, (DEME) at the Army Headquarters before he was appointed as Commander, Forward Maintenance Area (Central).

The Senior Officer has been decorated with the Uththama Seva Padakkama, Deshaputhra Padakkama, East Humanitarian Operation Medal, Purna Bhumi Padakkama, North and East Operations Medal, 'Riviresa' Campaign Service Medal, 50th Independence Anniversary Commemoration Medal, Sri Lanka Army 50th Anniversary Medal, Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal and Clasp, Sevabimani Padakkama, Seva Padakkama, Videsha Seva Padakkama, and few more medals during his tenure in the Sri Lanka Army.

 SL Army