Medals of the Sri Lankan military displayed on a Sri Lanka Army service uniform
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.
Gallantry decorations & medals[]
An Air Force serviceman in parade uniform, with medals pinned on left breast
- Parama Weera Vibhushanaya (Decoration of Supreme Heroism)
- Weerodara Vibhushanaya (Decoration of Heroism)
- Weera Wickrama Vibhushanaya (Decoration of Heroic Gallantry)
- Rana Wickrama Padakkama (Combat Gallantry Medal)
- Rana Sura Padakkama (Combat Excellence Medal)
Meritorious awards & medals[]
- Uththama Pooja Pranama Padakkama (Medal of Honour for Supreme Sacrifice)
- Desha Putra Sammanaya (Son of the Nation Award)
Service decorations & medals[]
- Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya (Distinguished Service Decoration)
- Uttama Seva Padakkama (Eminent Service Medal)
- Videsha Seva Padakkama (Foreign Service Medal)
- Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal
- Purna Bhumi Padakkama
- North and East Operations Medal
- Karyakshama Seva Vibhushanaya (Efficient Service Decoration) (Army)
- Karyakshama Seva Padakkama (Efficient Service Medal) (Army)
- Prashansaniya Seva Vibhushanaya (Commendable Service Decoration) (Navy)
- Prashansaniya Seva Padakkama (Commendable Service Medal) (Navy)
Campaign medals[]
All of Sri Lanka's campaign medals (as at May 2018) 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
- Vadamarachchi Operation Medal
- Riviresa Campaign Services Medal
- Northern Humanitarian Operations Medal
- Eastern Humanitarian Operations Medal
Coronation/Inauguration medals[]
- Ceylon Armed Services Inauguration Medal - 1951
- Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal - 1953
- President's Inauguration Medal - 1978
Anniversary medals[]
- Republic of Sri Lanka Armed Services Medal - 1972
- Sri Lanka Army 25th Anniversary Medal - 1974
- Sri Lanka Army 50th Anniversary Medal - 1999
- Sri Lanka Navy 25th Anniversary Medal - 1975
- Sri Lanka Navy 50th Anniversary Medal - 2000
- Sri Lanka Air Force 25th Anniversary Medal - 1976
- Sri Lanka Air Force 50th Anniversary Medal - 2001
- 50th Independence Anniversary Commemoration Medal - 1998
- Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force Centenary Medal - 1981
United Nations Service Medals[]
A Sri Lankan UN peacekeeper in Carrefour, Haiti in 2010
The United Nations Medal for participation in UN peacekeeping operations:
United Nations Operation in the Congo (MONUC) - 1960[1]- United Nations Security Force in West New Guinea - October 1962 to April 1963[2]
- United Nations India-Pakistan Observation Mission - 1965, 1966
- United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan
- United Nations Operation in Mozambique - 1992 to 1994
- United Nations Truce Supervision Organization[3]
- United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti - since 2004[4]
- United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon - since 2010[5]
- United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) - since 2014[6]
- United Nations Mission in South Sudan - since 2015[6]
- United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) - since December 2017[7][8]
- United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti - since 2017[9]
- United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNIFSA)[6]
- United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINUSRO)[6]
Former decorations & medals[]
Transition to independence (1949 - 1956)[]
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 honors; until Sri Lanka's republican constitution of 1972, the following awards were used:
- Officer of the Order of the British Empire (Military Division)
- Member of the Order of the British Empire (Military Division)
- Ceylon Armed Services Long Service Medal (1961 - 1972)
- Efficiency Decoration (Ceylon)
- Efficiency Medal (Ceylon)
Colonial (pre-1948)[]
The following are notable medals awarded by the Colonial government or agents of the Crown that are of historic interest:
- Capture of Ceylon Medal (1807)
- Ceylon Medal (1818)[10]
- Ceylon Volunteer Service Medal (1914-1919)
Order of precedence[]
The various decorations and medals are worn in the following order:[11][12][13]
SLAF officer displaying ribbon bars in order of precedence
See also[]
- Awards and decorations of the Sri Lanka Police
Notes[]
References[]
- ↑ "1960: Sri Lankan contribution to United Nations Peacekeeping". United Naitons Sri Lanka. http://lk.one.un.org/7060/en/sri-lankan-contribution-to-united-nations-peacekeeping.
- ↑ "West New Guinea- UNSF". United Nations Peacekeeping. https://peacekeeping.un.org/mission/past/unsfbackgr.html. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
- ↑ "UN Medals: UNTSO". United Nations. http://www.un.org/ar/peacekeeping/sites/medals/untso.htm. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
- ↑ "UN decorates 200 Sri Lankan peacekeepers - Haiti". Defence.lk. 8 November 2006. Archived from the original on 2007-09-11. https://web.archive.org/web/20070911172052/http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20070403_07.
- ↑ "Army Contingent for UN Mission in Lebanon ready to leave". english.dailyceylon.com. 8 February 2018. http://english.dailyceylon.com/army-contingent-for-un-mission-in-lebanon-ready-to-leave/. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 "UN introduces new rules for SL peace keeping troops: Army awaits HRC clearance". dailymirror.lk. 27 March 2018. http://www.dailymirror.lk/article/UN-introduces-new-rules-for-SL-peace-keeping-troops-Army-awaits-HRC-clearance-147845.html. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
- ↑ "Army Chief eyes bigger deployment in Mali". island.lk. 22 December 2017. http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=176980. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
- ↑ "Sri Lanka Army Completes Its Commitment to UN Assignments in Mali". army.lk. http://www.army.lk/news/sri-lanka-army-completes-its-commitment-un-assignments-mali. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
- ↑ "Troop and police contributors". United Nations Peacekeeping. https://peacekeeping.un.org/en/troop-and-police-contributors. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
- ↑ Narbeth, Colin (1971). Collecting Military Medals: A Beginner's Guide. Cambridge: The Lutterworth Press. p. 52. ISBN 0718890094. https://books.google.com/books?id=Z6vlQEDyC9MC&pg=PA52&lpg=PA52&dq=GOVERNMENT+OF+CEYLON+WAR+MEDAL&source=bl&ots=tD4YYr4e14&sig=FkFVN7Vm__fq_XOCHI17xzvq6X8&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj_9_rv8-HaAhVIKY8KHYcqATg4ChDoAQglMAA#v=onepage&q=GOVERNMENT%20OF%20CEYLON%20WAR%20MEDAL&f=false. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
- ↑ "Medals". Sri Lanka Army. http://www.army.lk/medals. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
- ↑ "Medal". Sri Lanka Navy. http://www.navy.lk/en/medals-en.html. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
- ↑ "Decorations & Medals". Sri Lanka Air Force. http://www.airforce.lk/pages.php?pages=decorations_medals. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
External links[]
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The original article can be found at Military awards and decorations of Sri Lanka and the edit history here.