General Shavendra Silva is set to retire as Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and from active service in the Sri Lanka Army, effective 1st of January 2025.
He was appointed as the 8th Chief of Defence Staff of Sri Lanka on 1st of June 2022, following a distinguished career spanning over 40 years of unblemished and victorious service. Prior to this role, he served as the Acting Chief of Defence Staff and the 23rd Commander of the Sri Lanka Army, becoming a four-star General.
Throughout his career, General Silva rose through the ranks from Second Lieutenant to General, steadily holding key positions in staff, instructional, command, and diplomatic domains. Notable appointments include Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army, Adjutant General, Director General Operations, and Colonel of the Regiment for the Gajaba Regiment, Special Forces Regiment, and Commando Regiment.
A battle-hardened Infantry Officer, General Silva is renowned for his leadership during the Wanni Humanitarian Operation, where he commanded the victorious 58 Division and Commando Brigade. His achievements in this operation played a pivotal role in ending Sri Lanka’s three-decade-long civil war in 2009.
In the aftermath of the war, he made history as the youngest officer to be promoted to the rank of Major General. He later commanded the 53 Division, known as the country’s Reserve Strike Force (RSF).
General Silva has received the highest number of gallantry awards in Sri Lanka’s Armed Forces history, including the Weera Wickrama Vibushanaya (WWV), Rana Wickrama Padakkama (RWP), and Rana Soora Padakkama (RSP). Notably, he became the first and only officer in Sri Lankan military history to receive three different gallantry medals at the rank of Second Lieutenant.
For his exceptional service, he has also been conferred with the Vishishta Seva Vibhushanaya (VSV) and Uththama Seva Padakkama (USP), further solidifying his legacy as one of Sri Lanka’s most decorated military leaders.
