President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, attaching a special significance to the 73rd National Independence Day, promoted 337 Army Officers (Regular and Volunteer Force) and 8,226 Other Army Rankers to their next ranks on the recommendation of the Defence Ministry and Chief of Defence Staff and Army Commander General Shavendra Silva.
Fourteen Brigadiers were promoted to the rank of Major General, 23 Colonels to Brigadiers, 35 Lieutenant Colonels to Colonels, 34 Majors to Lieutenant Colonels, 206 Captains to Majors, 22 Lieutenants to Captains and three Second Lieutenants to Lieutenant (Regular Force and Volunteer Force).
In other ranks, 212 Warrant Officers-11 were promoted to Warrant Officer-1,795 Staff Sergeants to Warrant Officer-11, 1,351 Sergeants to Staff Sergeants, 1,422 Corporals to Sergeants, 2,070 Lance Corporals to Corporals and 2,415 Privates to Lance Corporals.
After General Shavendra Silva took office as Army Commander in August 2019, 2,476 Army Officers and 50,860 Other Ranks have been promoted to their next rank. Of them, 95 Brigadiers were promoted to Major Generals, 181 Colonels to Brigadiers, 286 Lieutenant Colonels to Colonels, 390 Majors to Lieutenant Colonels, 929 Captains to Majors, 434 Lieutenants to Captains and 161 Second Lieutenants to Lieutenants (Regular Force and Volunteer Force).
The record 50, 860 promotions that have been hitherto granted to Other Rankers in the Army assumed office of the Commander included 1,540 Warrant Officers-II to the rank of Warrant Officer-I, 4,462 Staff Sergeants to Warrant Officers-11, 6,410 Sergeants to Staff Sergeants, 9,766 Corporals to Sergeants, 13,480 Lance Corporals to Corporals and 15,202 Privates to Lance Corporals.