On 16 October 2026, Intake 16 of the Sri Lanka Army proudly commemorates 45 years since 26 young men embarked on a journey that would become an enduring chapter in the history of the Sri Lanka Army.
For me, the story has a particularly personal beginning. In early October 1981, a good friend of mine, with whom I had been in the same cadet platoon since 1978 and who had served as Sergeant of the 1980 platoon that went on to become Island Champions, needed a college blazer for his final Army interview. I borrowed one from a friend in Panadura and brought it for him. He then boarded the same bus at Katubedda, and I accompanied him to his interview. A few days later, he shared the wonderful news that he had been selected for Officer Cadet Intake 16 and was due to report to Diyatalawa on 16 October 1981.
What followed became history. He emerged as the Best Officer Cadet, winning the coveted Sword of Honour and becoming a Cadet Under Officer. Decades later, he became the 22nd Commander of the Sri Lanka Army, achieving several remarkable milestones. He was the first Special Forces officer to command the Army, the first paratrooper to become Army Commander, the first graduate of the United States Army Command and General Staff College to attain that position, and the first former Cadet Under Officer and Sword of Honour recipient to rise to the highest appointment in the Army.
His journey was not without adversity. Following the 2010 Presidential Election, he was asked to leave the Army. Amid the uncertainty and threats surrounding him, I was among the first to visit him at his residence. In 2015, he was reinstated and subsequently served as Military Secretary, Commander of Security Forces – Jaffna, and Chief of Staff before assuming command of the Army on 4 July 2017. The rest is history.
On 16 October 1981, a bus waited at Army Headquarters to take 26 young men to Diyatalawa. Among them were Mahesh Senanayake (Ananda), Janaka Walgama (Nalanda), Udaya Perera (De Mazenod), Srimal Kasthuriarachchi (St Anthony’s, Katugastota), Edward Thanjaratnam (St John’s College, Jaffna), Prasanna Wickremesooriya (Nalanda), Jagath Alwis and Pradeep Jayasuriya (Ananda), Sooriya Senanayake (D. S. Senanayake), T. R. A. Aliba (Lumbini), P. Raveendran (Hindu College, Jaffna), J. N. Pushparaj (St Michael’s, Batticaloa), M. R. C. de Silva (St Benedict’s, Kotahena), Uraj de Silva (Prince of Wales’ College), Nirmal Coswatte (Dharmaraja), T. M. Mahindaratne (Vidyartha), S. T. de Silva (St Thomas’s), Amal Karunasekera (Nalanda) and Bimal Dias (Royal).
The intake also included five servicemen who had already distinguished themselves in the Other Ranks. They included two Olympic athletes, an Army decathlon champion, a Sri Lankan volleyball star and a graduate. They were A. Premachandra, K. T. N. Perera, S. M. Piyatilake, K. A. S. Siriwardena and H. K. Chandrasena.
Late that night, upon their arrival at the Military Academy, they were traditionally welcomed by the seniors of Intake 15, known as the intermediates, near the “Pandama”. Then came the reality of cadet life: running on the double, relentless discipline and demanding training. Intake 14, the super-seniors, and cadets of Short Service Course 3 were also there to ensure that the newcomers quickly understood the traditions and rigours of the Sri Lanka Military Academy (SLMA).
They were trained by dedicated instructors, including the course commanders during the initial months, Captain Lucky Rajasinghe (who retired as a Colonel) and Captain Wasantha Pamunuwa (who also retired as a Colonel); Course Sergeant T. H. Thajudeen; Physical Training Instructor Bombardier Senerath Bandara; and Chief Instructor Major Janaka Perera (later Major General, now deceased). Other senior instructors included Major Devinda Kalupahana (later Major General) and Major Lalith Gunaratne (who retired as a Colonel).
Their training tested every aspect of an aspiring officer. Exercise “God King” took them to sacred and historic sites such as Kataragama, Kirivehera and Sithulpawwa, connecting military training with the heritage of their motherland. Exercise “Frozen Trout” tested them for ten days in the cold, mist and rain of Ambewela and Pattipola, covering conventional warfare and battle procedures. Remarkably, Intake 16 underwent this exercise three times.
Exercise “Wana Bambara” took them deep into the jungles around Wellawaya for counter-revolutionary warfare training, while Exercise “Scorpion” tested their ability to conduct internal security and counter-insurgency operations around Welimada. Intake 16 also became the first officer cadet intake at the Sri Lanka Military Academy to undergo the Basic Commando Course before passing out.
After 22 months of rigorous training, the moment of truth arrived on 23 June 1983. Of the original 26 cadets, 19 were commissioned as Second Lieutenants. It was the largest passing-out parade of its time, with around 1,000 Army recruits passing out alongside them. The parade was commanded by Major Nanda Mallawarachchi (later Major General), while the officer cadet contingent was commanded by Cadet Under Officer Mahesh Senanayake, who had won the Sword of Honour for achieving the highest marks in the Order of Merit. He also received the Current Affairs Prize, while Cadet Sergeant Janaka Walgama received the Tactics Prize. The Chief Guest was the Commander of the Army, Major General T. I. Weeratunge.
The 19 newly commissioned officers were then posted to their respective regiments and began their service to the nation with integrity, passion and courage. During the brutal conflict in the North and East, two of their brothers made the supreme sacrifice.
Lieutenant Colonel Sooriya Senanayake of the Sri Lanka Light Infantry (SLLI) was killed in action at Kadduvan, Jaffna, on 30 May 1992. Lieutenant Colonel T. R. A. Aliba of the Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment (VIR) was killed in action at Mullaitivu on 18 July 1996, while commanding the 6th Battalion of the Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment during a major LTTE assault.
The intake also remembers Captain K. A. S. Siriwardena, Captain M. R. C. de Silva and Major Uraj de Silva, who passed away following health complications and an unfortunate accident, respectively. Their memories remain an inseparable part of the story of Intake 16, and they are remembered with the deepest gratitude.
Only five members went on to complete nearly 35 years of military service and retire at senior ranks: General Mahesh Senanayake, Major General Janaka Walgama, Major General Udaya Perera, Major General Jagath Alwis and Major General Nirmal Coswatte. Others took early retirement and pursued different paths, but the bond forged at Diyatalawa never diminished.
Forty-five years later, the memories remain vivid: the parade square, the mist of Diyatalawa, the hardships, the laughter, the friendships, the sacrifices and the pride of wearing the uniform. They entered Diyatalawa as young men and emerged as officers. Some became generals, one became Commander of the Army, some made the ultimate sacrifice, and others continued to serve the nation in different ways. But above rank, appointment and circumstance, they remain what they became at Diyatalawa: brothers of Intake 16.
As they mark 45 years since that historic day, 16 October 1981, we salute every member of Intake 16, remember with gratitude those who are no longer with us, and honour a generation that served the nation with pride, courage and dedication.
Forty-five years of service.
Forty-five years of sacrifice.
Forty-five years of brotherhood.
Happy 45th Anniversary, Intake 16!
16 October 1981 – 16 October 2026
Proudly served. Honourably remembered.
