(PICTURES): 71 years for the Guardians of the Skies; Sri Lanka Air Force

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Sri Lanka Air Force was established in the year 1951 as the Royal Ceylon Air Force on a day such as 02 March 2022 and thus celebrated 71 years of guarding the skies above our beloved motherland, Sri Lanka. The official anniversary parade was held Friday (4) morning at SLAF Base Katunayake under the auspices of the Commander of the Air Force, Air Marshal Sudarshana Pathirana. Anniversary parade comprised of 3 Squadrons which was commanded by Base Commander SLAF Base Katunayake Air Commodore Lasitha Sumanaweera. The first Squadron was commanded by Wing Commander Roshan Perera, the second Squadron by Wing Commander Prasad Kulathunga and the third Squadron by Wing Commander Nuwan Rathnayake. The Parade Adjutant was Squadron Leader Prabath Seneviratne and the Parade Warrant Officer was Master Warrant Officer UWGR Jayakodi. During the parade the Commander made his official anniversary address to those who present at Katunayake and to the entire SLAF members connected through a live streamed video feed which was made available to all Air Force establishments. The Commander commenced his address by paying tribute to the past members of the SLAF who either made the supreme sacrifice or were rendered differently abled due to injuries sustained. He also paid tribute to past Commanders of the Air Force, Officers, Other Ranks and Civilians whom dedication, powered the Air Force to eradicate one of the most ruthless terrorist outfits of the world that has ever seen and to bring lasting peace to our island nation. He reminded everyone that as member of the Sri Lanka Air Force, we are required to shoulder the responsibility of directly or indirectly participation in nation building. The Commander finally reminded all members of the Air Force to keep in mind that they should dedicate their efforts towards taking our nation forward in line with the “Vistas of Prosperity and Splendor” brought forward by His Excellency the President, Gotabaya Rajapaksa by empowering its quadruple objectives which are, a Productive Citizen, a Happy Family, an Obedient, Disciplined and Fair Society and a prosperous nation. All events of the Air Force Anniversary Day celebrations were conducted with strict adherence to health guidelines which have been put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19.