(UTV|COLOMBO) – The Sri Lanka Army – organised biggest ever military ‘Exercise – Western Shield’ with the largest ever contingent of Infantrymen is scheduled to begin on 01 July with the support of other service Regiments, Navy and Air Force Troops.
Directorate of Infantry on a concept of the Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake has already given final touches to the planned ‘Exercise – Western Shield’, in which 5000 Infantrymen, 3 General Officers Commanding in Divisions, 9 Brigade Commanders, 15 Commanding Officers and a group of supportive Army Personnel are expected to take part in it on the instructions of Major General Duminda Keppetiwalana, Director General Infantry who would act as the supervisor for the overall conduct of the month-long ‘Exercise – Western Shield’ that covers Anuradhapura, Mannar and Puttalam Districts.
Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake considering the professional need of Army personnel to be well-attuned, refreshed and upgraded to meet with any future warfare threat and enhance alertness for tactical operability, enemy offensives, infantry operations, knowledge on theoretical understanding, decision-making and operational abilities, map reading, command, etc. and maintenance of moral courage and psychological preparedness among soldiers, particularly after ten-years upon completion of the humanitarian operations against terrorism, has instructed accordingly to launch the Exercise in full swing.
‘Exercise – Western Shield’ area extends from Mannar to Puttalam, including Kalpitiya, Wilpattu National Park, Mavillu and Thabbowa Forest Reserves and the Western Coastal Belt and provides the opportunity for Army Trainees to march through those areas which are not usually accessible to others except for Forest Conservation Authorities.
During the weekend, Major General Duminda Keppetiwalana briefed the Commander of the Army who was in Diyatalawa to meet Sri Lankan and Indian troops engaged in ongoing ‘Mitra Shakthi’ training, exercise on the overall conduct of the proposed ‘Exercise – Western Shield’ and explained him about its practical and auxiliary requirements.
‘Exercise – Western Shield’, the biggest ever infantry training module, meticulously segmented covering a full month would make a milestone in the Army history since it would enable troops to be well updated with simulated operations at ground level and acquire a vast knowledge on operational capability of the Army Personnel.
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