Discipline of the highest degree is one of the most important aspects in a military officer’s life, says President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

“Optimism, self-belief, and confidence in yourself and those in your teams will be at the heart of your success,” he said, while participating at the 96th Commissioning Parade of the Sri Lanka Military Academy, Diyatalawa held today (19).

“The attention you pay to simple tasks builds discipline, it fosters attention to detail, and it provides a sense of accomplishment, no matter how small, as you start your day. There will be many situations in your life where no matter how capable or skilled you are as an individual, you will not be able to succeed without the support of others,” the President further said.

“Someday, one of you may even become the Commander of the Army and be responsible for the entire organization and all the people in it. As you start on this journey, you must understand that the soldiers under your command are ordinary people, and not supermen. It is your responsibility to ensure that you get outstanding results from such normal people,” President Rajapaksa added.

The President pointed out that setbacks are part of the journey and the leader should be able to face them successfully and make bold decisions.

President Rajapaksa upon arrival, paid floral tribute to the fallen heroes at the Monument of Peace and observed the Commissioning Parade.

A total of 316 officer cadets from Intake 5 passed out today.

The group includes 73 students who entered the Sri Lanka Military Academy (SLMA) to pursue Bachelor’s Degree in Military Studies, 150 graduates from General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, 61 volunteer cadet officers, 15 volunteer female cadet officers, six trained cadet officers from Zambia, Maldives and Rwanda and five Sri Lankan cadets trained in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal.

President’s Award for the First in Order of Merit for Volunteer Lady Officer Cadet Intake 17 was awarded to H.A.T. Prabhashwari by President Rajapaksa while President’s Award for the First in Order of Merit for Volunteer Officer Cadet Intake 60 and the Sword of Honour for the Best All-Round Officer Cadet was awarded to A.M.D.T.N. Perera. Meanwhile, the President’s Award for the First in Order of Merit for Regular Officer Cadet Intake 89B was awarded to R.T.L.A. Silva, the Sword of Honour for the Best All-Round Officer Cadet of Regular Officer Cadet Intake 89B to H.E.A. Ranjula and the President’s Award for the First in Order of Merit for Regular Officer Cadet Intake 90 and the Sword of Honour for the Best All-Round Officer Cadet of Regular Officer to T.R.C.D. Pathinayake. The President’s Award for the First in Order of Merit and the Sword of Honour for the Best All-Round Officer Cadet for the Regular Officer Cadet Intake 89 was awarded to D.M.M. Rukshan while the Staff of Honour for Best Foreign Cadet Officer was awarded to A. Adam of Maldives.

The President planted a sapling to mark his participation and appeared in several group photos.

Principal Advisor to the President Lalith Weeratunga, Defence Secretary General Kamal Gunaratne, Chief of Defence Staff and Commander of the Army General Shavendra Silva and other senior Army officers were also present.