(UDHAYAM, COLOMBO) – President Maithripala Sirisena, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces has promoted the Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Crisanthe De Silva to the rank of General with effect from June 27 and appointed him as the Chief of Defence Staff.
General De Silva enlisted to the Army on February 06, 1980 and received his commission on July 18, 1981 as a Second Lieutenant in the Corps of Sri Lanka Engineers. Subsequently, he was promoted to the ranks of Captain (1985), Major (1989), Lieutenant Colonel (1994), Colonel (1997), Brigadier (2003) and Major General on November 30, 2009.
He assumed duties as the 21st Commander of the Sri Lanka Army on February 22, 2015 with the promotion to the rank of Lieutenant General.