Awards and decorations of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces

The Sri Lankan Armed Forces award medals and their associated ribbon bars in recognition of various levels of service, personal accomplishments and commemorative events while a regular- or volunteer serviceperson is a member of the Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy and the Sri Lanka Air Force. Together with military badges, such awards are a means to outwardly display the highlights of a serviceperson's career.

Medals of the Sri Lankan military displayed on a Sri Lanka Army service uniform

Medals for gallantry

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An Air Force serviceman in parade uniform, with medals pinned on left breast

Sri Lanka orders

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Wound medals

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Medals for long service and good conduct

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War service medals

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All of Sri Lanka's campaign medals (as at December 2020) center around those that were part of the Sri Lankan Civil War. As such, the campaigns took place in the North and East of the island, shown here

Peacetime service medals

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Commemorative medals

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United Nations Service Medals

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A Sri Lankan UN peacekeeper in Carrefour, Haiti in 2010

The United Nations Medal for participation in UN peacekeeping operations:

Former decorations and medals

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Sri Lanka, formerly known as Ceylon, possessed a small standing armed force of its own. Here, Prime Minister D. S. Senanayake watches the Ceylon Light Infantry training at the Echelon Barracks in the 1950s

Dominion of Ceylon (1949 - 1972)

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From its formation in 1949, the Ceylon Armed Forces continued the use of British military decorations. This was discontinued in 1956 with a suspension of nominations for British honours; until Sri Lanka's republican constitution of 1972, the following awards were used:

Colonial (pre-1948)

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Imperial and local medals awarded for military service to the colony and empire.

Order of precedence

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The various decorations and medals are worn in the order stipulated for each service by its service commander.

Sri Lanka Army

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The order in which decorations and medals are to be worn have been defined in the Dress Regulation of the Sri Lanka Army.[12][13]

 
SLA officer displaying ribbon bars in order of precedence.
Ribbon Award Postnominals Established
  Parama Weera Vibhushanaya PWV 1981
  Weerodara Vibhushanaya WV 1981
  Weera Wickrama Vibhushanaya WWV 1981
  Rana Wickrama Padakkama RWP 1981
  Rana Sura Padakkama RSP 1981
  Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya VSV 1981
 
Karyakshama Seva Vibhushanaya[a]
(Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force)
KSV
1972
  Uttama Seva Padakkama USP 1981
 
Karyakshama Seva Padakkama[a]
(Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force)
KSP
1972
  Desha Putra Sammanaya - 1972
  Eastern Humanitarian Operations Medal - 2010
  Northern Humanitarian Operations Medal - 2010
  Purna Bhumi Padakkama - 1977
  North and East Operations Medal - 1983
  Vadamarachchi Operation Medal - 1983
  Riviresa Campaign Services Medal - 1996
  Queen’s Medal for Best Shooter in the Army - 1954
  Republic of Sri Lanka Armed Services Medal - 1972
  Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal - 1953
 
Sri Lanka Army 25th Anniversary Medal[a]
- 1974
  50th Independence Anniversary Commemoration Medal - 1998
  75th Independence Day Commemoration Medal - 2023
 
Sri Lanka Army 50th Anniversary Medal[a]
- 1999
  Ceylon Armed Services Long Service Medal
(Replaced by the Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal)
- 1968
  Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal - 1979
  President's Inauguration Medal - 1978
  Ceylon Armed Services Inauguration Medal - 1955
  Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force Centenary Medal - 1981
  Sewabhimani Padakkama - 2019
  Sewa Padakkama - 2019
  Videsha Seva Padakkama - 1981
  United Nations Medals - Various

Sri Lanka Navy

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[14]

 
SLN officer displaying ribbon bars in order of precedence.
Ribbon Award Postnominals Established
  Parama Weera Vibhushanaya PWV 1981
  Weerodara Vibhushanaya WV 1981
  Weera Wickrama Vibhushanaya WWV 1981
  Rana Wickrama Padakkama RWP 1981
  Rana Sura Padakkama RSP 1981
  Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya VSV 1981
  Uttama Seva Padakkama USP 1981
  Videsha Seva Padakkama - 1981
  Republic of Sri Lanka Armed Services Medal - 1972
 
Sri Lanka Navy 50th Anniversary Medal[a]
- 2000
 
Sri Lanka Navy 25th Anniversary Medal[a]
- 1975
  Ceylon Armed Services Long Service Medal
(Replaced by the Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal)
- 1968
  Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal - 1979
  Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal - 1953
  President's Inauguration Medal - 1978
  50th Independence Anniversary Commemoration Medal - 1998
  75th Independence Day Commemoration Medal - 2023
  Desha Putra Sammanaya - 1972
  Sewabhimani Padakkama - 2019
  Sewa Padakkama - 2019
  Eastern Humanitarian Operations Medal - 2010
  Northern Humanitarian Operations Medal - 2010
  Purna Bhumi Padakkama - 1977
  North and East Operations Medal - 1983
  Vadamarachchi Operation Medal - 1983
  Riviresa Campaign Services Medal - 1996
  Prashansaniya Seva Vibhushanaya[a]
(Sri Lanka Volunteer Naval Force)
PSV 2000
  Prashansaniya Seva Padakkama[a]
(Sri Lanka Volunteer Naval Force)
PSP 2000
  Ceylon Armed Services Inauguration Medal - 1955

Sri Lanka Air Force

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[15]

 
SLAF officer displaying ribbon bars in order of precedence.
Ribbon Award Postnominals Established
  Parama Weera Vibhushanaya PWV 1981
  Weerodara Vibhushanaya WV 1981
  Weera Wickrama Vibhushanaya WWV 1981
  Rana Wickrama Padakkama RWP 1981
  Rana Sura Padakkama RSP 1981
  Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya VSV 1981
  Uttama Seva Padakkama USP 1981
  Videsha Seva Padakkama - 1981
  Republic of Sri Lanka Armed Services Medal - 1972
  Sri Lanka Air Force 25th Anniversary Medal[a] - 1976
  Sri Lanka Air Force 50th Anniversary Medal[a] - 2001
  Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal - 1953
  Ceylon Armed Services Long Service Medal
(Replaced by the Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal)
- 1968
  Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal - 1979
  President's Inauguration Medal - 1978
  50th Independence Anniversary Commemoration Medal - 1998
  75th Independence Day Commemoration Medal - 2023
  Desha Putra Sammanaya - 1972
  Sewabhimani Padakkama - 2019
  Sewa Padakkama - 2019
  Eastern Humanitarian Operations Medal - 2010
  Northern Humanitarian Operations Medal - 2010
  Purna Bhumi Padakkama - 1977
  North and East Operations Medal - 1983
  Vadamarachchi Operation Medal - 1983
  Riviresa Campaign Services Medal - 1996
  Ceylon Armed Services Inauguration Medal - 1955
  United Nations Medals - Various

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Equivalent

References

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  1. ^ "1960: Sri Lankan contribution to United Nations Peacekeeping". United Nations Sri Lanka.
  2. ^ "West New Guinea- UNSF". United Nations Peacekeeping. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  3. ^ "UN Medals: UNTSO". un.org. United Nations. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  4. ^ "UN decorates 200 Sri Lankan peacekeepers - Haiti". Defence.lk. 8 November 2006. Archived from the original on 2007-09-11.
  5. ^ "Army Contingent for UN Mission in Lebanon ready to leave". english.dailyceylon.com. Daily Ceylon. 8 February 2018. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  6. ^ a b c d "UN introduces new rules for SL peace keeping troops: Army awaits HRC clearance". dailymirror.lk. Daily Mirror. 27 March 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  7. ^ "Army Chief eyes bigger deployment in Mali". island.lk. The Island. 22 December 2017. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  8. ^ "Sri Lanka Army Completes Its Commitment to UN Assignments in Mali". Sri Lanka Army. army.lk. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  9. ^ "Troop and police contributors". United Nations Peacekeeping. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  10. ^ "TERMS OF AWARD OF THE NAVAL GENERAL SERVICE MEDAL AND THE GENERAL SERVICE MEDAL (ARMY AND ROYAL AIR FORCE)" (PDF). defence.gov.au. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  11. ^ Narbeth, Colin (1971). Collecting Military Medals: A Beginner's Guide. Cambridge: The Lutterworth Press. p. 52. ISBN 0718890094. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  12. ^ "Medals". army.lk. Sri Lanka Army. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  13. ^ "Dress Regulation". army.lk. Sri Lanka Army. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  14. ^ "Medal". navy.lk. Sri Lanka Navy. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  15. ^ "Decorations & Medals". airforce.lk. Sri Lanka Air Force. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
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