EDUCATIONAL VISIT OF NEWLY COMMISSIONED OFFICERS OF THE SRI LANKA ARTILLERY TO ITC RATHNADEEPA

The newly commissioned young officers of the Regiment of Sri Lanka Artillery recently undertook an educational visit to the ITC Rathnadeepa, one of prestigious seven star luxury hotels, during the period of orientation programme for the regimentation, as a result of the great initiative taken by the Commandant of the Army Volunteer Force and the Colonel Commandant of the Regiment. The visit was conducted with the objective of broadening their exposure to luxury hospitality management and high end service operations and also to enhance officers’ understanding of contemporary organizational practices beyond the traditional military environment.

During the visit, the officers were provided with a comprehensive overview of the hotel’s operational framework, gaining valuable exposure to strategic leadership, service excellence, and operational management within a world class hospitality environment. The visit offered practical insights into operational coordination, guest service standards, and administrative efficiency, allowing the officers to appreciate how high performance teams function in a demanding, service oriented setting.

These interactions enabled the officers to draw meaningful parallels between military command responsibilities and civilian leadership roles, particularly with regard to teamwork, planning, accountability, and precision in execution. The Regiment of Sri Lanka Artillery places on record its special appreciation and sincere gratitude to Mr. Keenan MacKenzie; The General Manager ITC, Mr. Kaustav Sen; Head of HR and Mr. Arjun Deep Shad; Residence Manager of ITC Rathnadeepa, for their invaluable support, cooperation, and contribution towards the success of this educational visit.

Further, the Regiment of Sri Lanka Artillery wishes to place on record its sincere appreciation to the management and staff of ITC Rathnadeepa for their exemplary cooperation and professionalism. A special thank is extended to Ms Shashini Perera; the Manager Training and Development who conducted the training session at the ITC Rathnadeepa and a noteworthy gratitude is extended to Colonel C A B Tennakoon (Retd) RSP psc; The Manager, Sapphire Residences of ITC Rathnadeepa; a member of the Gunners’ family, whose initiative and efforts were instrumental in arranging this valuable educational opportunity for the newly commissioned officers.

Such educational visits underscore the Sri Lanka Artillery’s commitment to the holistic professional development of its officers by exposing them to best practices in leadership, administration, and organizational management across diverse professional domains. The Regiment remains confident that the knowledge and perspectives gained through this visit will contribute positively to the officers’ future roles and responsibilities.