28 Facts About Shavendra Silva

Shavendra Silva served as the Commander of the Sri Lanka Army from 19 August 2019 to 31 May 2022.

Shavendra Silva had served as the Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Headquarters.

Shavendra Silva was born on 22 June 1964 in Matale, the son of Creasy de Silva, former Chairman, Sri Lanka Transport Board and Sumana Bandu Silva, an English teacher.

Shavendra Silva had three siblings that included Lakshman de Silva who became CEO of the DFCC Bank and Ajantha de Silva, who is a retired Air Vice-Marshal.

Shavendra Silva was educated at Vijaya College, Matale; St Thomas' College, Matale and St Joseph's College, Anuradhapura.

Shavendra Silva became the head prefect, captained the first XI cricket team, was a sergeant of the cadet platoon and became the band leader of the western band.

Shavendra Silva joined the Sri Lanka Army on 5 March 1984 through its 19th Officer Cadet Intake at the Sri Lanka Military Academy in Diyatalawa.

Shavendra Silva later transferred to the Commando Regiment following commando training.

Shavendra Silva was wounded in the operation and later served as the head of the Presidential Security Army Unit at the President's House, Colombo.

Shavendra Silva was thereafter an officer instructor at the Sri Lanka Military Academy and served as the course officer of regular intake 37, which included the first batch of foreign officer cadets in 1991.

Major Shavendra Silva was appointed commanding officer of the 8th battalion, Gajaba Regiment in August 1995 and served till January 1996.

Shavendra Silva was the youngest commanding officer to command an infantry battalion, during the Operation Riviresa.

Shavendra Silva then served as the General Officer Commanding, 53 Division which served as the country's Reserve Strike Force.

Shavendra Silva was the alternative representative of Sri Lanka to the Special Committee on Decolonization from 2010 to 2015 and served as an advisor of the Sri Lankan delegation to the United Nations General Assembly Third Committee.

Shavendra Silva led initiatives to increase Sri Lankan contribution to United Nations Peacekeeping operations, including the deployment of air units of the Sri Lanka Air Force and a military hospital for the United Nations Missions in Central African Republic and South Sudan.

Shavendra Silva attended a course on National and International Security at the Harvard University and had undergone psychological operations training in the US.

Shavendra Silva had served as a visiting lecturer at the Marine Corps War College in Quantico.

In 2015, Shavendra Silva attended the National Security and Strategic Study course at the National Defence College.

Shavendra Silva became the first officer of the Gajaba Regiment to take command of the army.

Shavendra Silva is the Regimental Colonel of the Gajaba Regiment and the Sri Lanka Army Special Forces Regiment and was the Regimental Colonel of the Commando Regiment.

In January 2020, General Shavendra Silva was appointed as Acting Chief of Defence Staff, while concurrently serving as Army Commander.

Shavendra Silva succeeded Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne Shavendra Silva was promoted to the rank of General in December 2020.

General Shavendra Silva is the most decorated soldier in Sri Lankan army history with over 20 medal to his name.

Shavendra Silva has received some of the highest awards in the Sri Lankan armed forces, which includes the Weera Wickrama Vibhushanaya, Rana Wickrama Padakkama, Uttama Seva Padakkama and the Rana Sura Padakkama at once, a first in the Sri Lankan military history.

Shavendra Silva's badges include: Commando Tab, the Infantry Badge, Air Mobile Brigade Training School Badge, Advance PTI Badge, Parachute Badge, Air Assault Badge, Tracker Badge and the Qualified in Command and Staff Course Badge.

At the pinnacle General Shavendra Silva was awarded many honorary titles from the venerated Buddhist Tri-Nikaya, and in pinnacle he has been awarded with Buddhist Honorary Title 'Mahamannya Prathapadhikeshwara'; the highest Buddhist accolade that is bestowed to any lay personality by the Asgiriya and Malwatta Chapters of Siyam Nikaya in the year 2022.

General Shavendra Silva has been contributing to the advancement of the Sri Lankan Sports Sector as the Chairman of the National Sports Selection Committee appointed by the Ministry of Sports from the year 2018.

Shavendra Silva has been instrumental in uplifting the Sri Lankan Sports to perform well in Olympic Games and Paralympic Games during his service.