The President’s Secretary, Mr. Saman Ekanayake, handed over the appointment letter to AVM Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday (28).

In recognition of his exceptional service and in line with his new appointment as the Commander, President Ranil Wickremesinghe has promoted Air Vice Marshal Udeni Rajapaksa, to the rank of Air Marshal, effective from tomorrow, the 30th.

As the 19th Air Force Commander of the country, Air Vice Marshal Udeni Rajapaksa proudly represents his alma mater, Ananda College, Colombo, being the first Air Force Commander to be appointed from Ananda College.

His journey began in 1988 when he joined the Kotalawala Defence College as a cadet, and subsequently, he excelled in flight training at the Anuradhapura Camp No. 01, achieving the distinction of being the best cadet in the 33rd Air Cadet Course.

With a combination of local and foreign training, he demonstrated outstanding performance as a flight officer. Prior to his current appointment, he held the second position of command within the Air Force, as the Chief of Staff, and now assumes the prestigious role of Air Force Commander.