Inside the Special Forces Regiment
During the final phase of the war a group of soldiers were under fire from the enemy, in the area of Puthukudiyiuppu. A detachment of Special Forces soldiers were called in to repulse this attack. Corporal Chandrasiri Bandara was in the frontline when he noticed an explosive laden truck speeding towards their position. He took aim and fired an RPG, which failed to explode on impact. While he was reloading another round the armour plated truck was getting closer. Chandrasiri realized that he was staring death right in the face, and fired the second time. The RPG hit the truck, which exploded claiming the life of this soldier. The other soldiers were saved by the sacrifice of this gallant son.
This is the high degree of morale, discipline and altruism of the Special Forces Regiment.
The jungle has been a very demanding frontier, laced with many challenges. Yet, there are bold individuals who have mastered the craft of surviving in this tough terrain. The valiant men of the SF Regiment of the Sri Lanka Army are a tightly knit fraternity of fighters. They have shown their prowess in operating behind enemy lines, using the special combat dimension of the “4 man team” that excels in deep penetration within enemy territory.
I was fortunate to visit the SF Training School located in the dense jungles of Maduru Oya, a land where wild elephants roam. The school is the cradle where ordinary men are transformed into the most toughest and enduring soldiers. One must remember that our motherland was engulfed in a prolonged and bloody conflict, which was often witnessed in the dense thickets of border villages.
The concept of using specially trained men in combat was envisaged during the Second Boers War (1899-1902). Robust woodsmen from Ireland were recruited and trained in combat skills. They were known as Lovats Scouts.
Subsequently they went on to form the first Sniper Unit of the British Army. During the Second World War there was a need for specialist troops who could eliminate the Nazis. Sir Winston Churchill endorsed the formation of the British Commando Regiment, on a proposal of Lt. Colonel Dudley Clarke. It was on 23 June 1940 that the first commando raid took place with amazing results. This mission would soon
become the benchmark of special fighting units globally. The British SAS (Special Air Service) was formed in 1941 under Lt. David Sterling. The US Army Ranger division is also modelled on the British concept. One of the famous raids by the Green Berets (US Rangers) was against the Japanese in the Philippines in a mission code named Cabanatuan to rescue POWs.
In Sri Lanka the concept of a combat tracker team took shape in 1985, due to the visionary thinking of Major Gamini Hettiarachchi (originally of Armoured Corps, subsequently promoted Major General). The pioneer team had 2 officers and 38 men, including the legendary Colonel Fazly Lafir, who was a young Lieutenant at that time. The dedication and sacrifice of this band of brothers paved the way for the formation of a full regiment. The combat tracker team became known as Rapid Deployment Force. In December 1988 the unit was redesignated as 1st Regiment Special Forces. Within its realm of covert operations the SF excels in battle space preparation by sabotage and offensive raiding, intelligence gathering, counter terrorism operations, ambushing enemy supply routes and long range reconnaissance. Officers who have had active missions in the forests stated that they encounter many wild animals including lone elephants, bears, buffaloes and snakes. Dealing with mosquitoes and other deadly insects like scorpions and centipedes are all part of a day’s routine. The SF operates in small teams consisting of a Scout, Navigator, Signal Operator, Demolition expert and Medic.
Serving in the SF is a tough reality, which requires loads of endurance, courage and aptitude. The SF training school was established in 1992. Officers and other ranks are recruited after undergoing an intense selection procedure. The recruits are trained for nine months and tested in weapons handling, demolitions, jungle warfare, jungle survival, sniper rifle shooting, parachute jumps, reconnaissance, unarmed combat (along with Tae Kwando) and underwater swimming techniques. On completion of this training all recruit soldiers (other ranks) are promoted to the rank of Lance Corporal, therefore the SF is the only unit in the army that does not have the rank of Private. A unique point in the pass out parade of the SF, is that their badges are flown in by a helicopter and a 4 man team uses the technique of ‘rappelling” to reach the ground carrying the badges in duffel bags. The insignia of the Eagle represents the ability to “scoop” in on the enemy. The famous “Jolly Roger” patch (skull and cross bones) is worn on the arm.
Today the SF is commanded by Major General Mahesh Senanayake, a veteran combat strategist who was absorbed into the Special Forces as a young Captain. This dynamic officer is an engineer, who passed the command and staff course at the prestigious US Army College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He also had the distinction of being the first Commanding Officer of the famous LRRP unit (1996) which contributed immensely in restraining enemy activities. These teams operate long range patrols and long range reconnaissance missions. Elaborating further he stated that the men have the chance to enhance their career and train as elite sky divers and motorbike riders. Sky divers really fly with the eagles as they jump out of aircraft from top altitudes. The bike teams operate with rapid cross country capability. I was able to witness them as they sped in formation. They operate in 2 man teams, with a rider and pillion rider: both are armed and able to shoot at targets with brilliant accuracy while the bike is in motion.
Maj.Gen. Senanayake, who also serves as Security Forces Commander Jaffna, pointed out that the theatre of combat was changing globally and encounters of the future will be intense, short and fierce, probably taking place in urban environments. Realising this scenario an Urban Fighter (UF) Squadron was raised in 2012 to engage in hostage rescue missions and counter terror operations. This team gave a sterling demonstration of their skills when they rapidly assaulted a building, using both a land rover and a helicopter (landing away from the target) taking the hostile occupants by surprise.
The Brigade Commander of the SF is Brigadier Sujeewa Senarathyapa and the Centre Commandant is Brigadier Harendra Ranasinghe. Colonel Chandimal Pieris functions as the Deputy Centre Commandant. The SF has grown into 4 battalions at present. The 1st Regiment is based at Nahula and boasts of the elite combat riders. The 2nd Regiment has its divers who excel in underwater and water borne missions based at Kokillai. The low profile LRRP teams make up the 3rd Regiment while the 4th Regiment is the home of the Urban Fighter squadron operating out of Monkey Bridge, Trincomalee. The Navy SBS (Special Boat Squadron) received some elements of its training at the inception from the Army SF. The valour, teamwork and sacrifice of the SF men is endorsed by the fact that five of them have been posthumously bestowed with the PWV Medal (Parama Weera Vidhushanaya) our nation’s highest decoration for bravery.
These five soldiers are Colonel Fazly Lafir (died 1996), Lt.Colonel Lalith Jayasinghe (died 2008), Major Ajith Gamage (died 2009), Sergeant Chandrasiri Bandara (died 2009) and Corporal K. Chandana (died 2008). These gallant men were totally committed to their mission and the safety of their comrades. They have borne testament to the words of the philosopher Aristotle who opined “You will never do anything in this world without courage”.