National Cadet Corps (Sri Lanka)
| National Cadet Corps | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1881 - Present |
| Role | Volunteer Youth Organisation |
| Headquarters | HQ National Cadet Corps, Kalubowila, Colombo. |
| Motto |
Nonquam non paratus (Latin) සූදානම් නොවී නොසිටිනු (Sinhala) Never be unprepared (English) Nakadhachidh asang vihithakh (Pali) |
| Commanders | |
| Director | Maj Gen HMHA Herath PSc MSc |
The National Cadet Corps (Sri Lanka) is the Sri Lankan military cadet corps and is a Ministry of Defence sponsored youth organisation in the Sri Lanka. Formally the Ceylon Cadet Corps It is open to high school students on voluntary basis and has a history of more than 126 years as of 2007. The officers are teachers who act as instructors. The Cadets are given basic military training in small arms and parades.The officers and cadets have no liability for active military service but many volunteer to join the armed forces.
Mission
The Mission of the National Cadet Corps is to train and inspire cadets using effective training curriculum, so that each cadet shall develop character, courage, sportsmanship, self-reliance, discipline, and civil mindedness, spirit of adventure, responsibility and comradeship to be a human resource of well-trained youth, capable of providing leadership in all aspects of life.
History
- 1881 - Mr. John B. Cull, the then principal of Royal College, Colombo formed a cadet platoon as a Volunteer Unit under Ceylon Light Infantry for the students of the Royal College.
- 1902 - Introduction of Cadet Battalion under CLI (Ceylon Light Infantry) and Major S. M. Baros of CLI became the first Commanding Officer of the Cadet Battalion.
- 1917 - The First Hermen Loos ( All Island ) Camp was held in Diyathalawa. The Champions were Kingswood College, Kandy
- 1918 - With the recommendation of Brigadier General R. B. Fell (The CDF Commander), formation of Ceylon Cadet Battalion took place on the two divisions on 4 February 1918.
- 1948 - Colonel R.J.C. Mendis was appointed as the First Sri Lankan Commanding officer of the Ceylon Cadet Battalion.
- 1971 - Eight officers were mobilised for duties with the Regular Force during the period of April insurrection in various parts of the island.
- 1972 - Ceylon Cadet Corps changed its designation as Sri Lanka Cadet Corps after Ceylon declared itself a Republic.
- 1981 - Centenary Celebrations of Cadet Corps was held in Colombo.
- 1985 - Action was taken to amalgamate Sri Lanka Cadet Corps and the Police Cadet Corps under the Manpower Mobilization and Auxiliary Forces Act, No. 40 of 1985.
- 1985 - Girls Platoons were started in ten main cities of the island.
- 1988 - Sri Lanka Cadet Corps, which was part of the Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force changed its designation as the National Cadet Corps, and it was ceremonially inaugurated on 29 April 1988 by His Excellency J. R. Jayewardene, the then President of Sri Lanka under the above Act.[1]
- 1990-The National Cadet Corps Training Centre, Rantembe was established on 2 December 1990 by General Cyril Ranathunga, VSV the Secretary, Ministry of Defence.
- 1995 - A total 98 officers including 25 lady officers were mobilised to serve in the operational areas. Some of them were posted to Army HQ, SLMA, KDA and Sri Lanka Navy for various duties.
- 2001 - The Ministry of Defence took over Sri Gunalankara Vidyalaya from the Ministry of Education and established the HQ National Cadet Corps at Kalubowila on 18 May 2001.
- 2006 - 125th Anniversary celebrations.
Battalions
National Cadet Corps has 21 Battalions located in
- HQ National Cadet Corps - Colombo
- 1st NCC NCC Battalion - Galle
- 2nd NCC Battalion - Kandy
- 3rd NCC Battalion - Colombo
- 4th NCC Battalion - Kurunagala
- 5th NCC Battalion - Anuradhapura
- 6th NCC Battalion - Badulla
- 7th NCC Battalion - Gampaha
- 8th NCC Battalion - Rathnapura
- 9th NCC Battalion - Kegalla
- 10th NCC Battalion - Tangalla
- 11th NCC Battalion - Polonnaruwa
- 12th NCC Battalion - Kalutara
- 13th NCC Battalion - Matale
- 14th NCC Battalion - Kuliyapitiya
- 15th NCC Battalion - Monaragala
- 16th NCC Battalion - Matara
- 17th NCC Battalion - Ampara
- 18th NCC Battalion - Nuwara Eliya
- 19th NCC Battalion - Pannipitiya
- 20th NCC Battalion - Jaffna
- 21st NCC Battalion - Trincomalee
- 22nd NCC Battalion - vavuniya
- 23rd NCC Battalion - Kundasale
- 24th NCC Battalion - Debarawewa
- 25th NCC Girl Battalion - North Western Province
- 26th NCC Girl Battalion - Western Province
- 27th NCC Girl Battalion - Southern Province
- 28th NCC Girl Battalion - Central Province
- 29th NCC Girl Battalion - Sabaragamuwa Province
- 30th NCC Girl Battalion - Northern Province
- 31st NCC Girl Battalion - Eastern Province
- 32nd NCC Girl Battalion - North Central Province
- 33rd NCC Girl Battalion - Uwa Province
- 34th NCC Battalion - Mulathivu
- NCC Training Centre, Rantambe
Training
All Cadets undergo practical and theoretical training at their platoon and company level in the areas such as Physical Fitness, Foot Drill, Weapon Training and Firing, Map Reading, Field Craft, First Aid, Regimental Duties, Confidence Building Course, Leadership Activities, Fire Fighting, etc. Annually assessment camps at battalion level are held at NCC Training Centre, Rantambe while Naval Cadet assessment camps are held in the Naval and Maritime Academy and Air Force Cadet assessment Camps of the SLAF Diyatalawa.[2] The standard issued service weapon of NCC is the British Lee-Enfield Mk III.
Trophies
- Hermann Loos Championship Trophy - awarded annually to the best performing cadet platoon from a boy's school
- De Soysa Champion - awarded annually to the best performing cadet platoon from a girl's school
Training Course
- Junior Leadership Course for Cadets & Sramabimani
- Cadets' Advance Course
- Probationary Officers' Course
- Young Officers' Course
- Officers' Training Course
- Junior Command Course
- Senior Command Course
- Band Platoons Comds' Course
- Band NCOs, Course for Cadets
- Computer Course for Cadets
- Computer Course for ORs
- Computer Course for Three Forces and Police Officers
- English Language course for Cadets
- English Language Course for Tri - Forces and Police Officers
- English Language Course for ORs
- Sinhala Language Course for Cadets
- Sinhala Language Course for ORs
- Tamil Language Course for Cadets
- Tamil Language Course for ORS
- Tamil Language Course for Three forces and Police Officers
- Drivers' Course
- Counseling course
- University Entrance Course
- PSI/Clerks Course
Ranks within the NCC
Officers
- Major General
- Brigadier
- Colonel
- Lieutenant Colonel
- Major
- Captain
- Lieutenant
- 2nd Lieutenant
- Probationary officer
Cadets
- Corps Under Officer (one in a Corps)
- Battalion Under Officer (one in a battalion)
- Battalion quarter master under officer(one in a battalion)
- Company Senior Under Officer (one in a Company)
- Company Junior Under Officer (one in a Company)
- Sergeant (five in a Company excluding the CSM and CQMS/depend on the platoons in the company)
- Corporal (fifteen in a Company)
- Lance Corporal (fifteen in a Company)
- Cadet
Former ranks
- Regiment Sergeant Major (RSM)
- Regiment Quarter Master Sergeant (RQMS)
- Company Sergeant Major (CSM)
- Company Quarter Master Sergeant(CQMS)
Past Directors
- Major SM Borrous 1902-1905
- Major James Von Langenberg ED CLI 1905-1915
- Major WE Gratiaen 1916-1917
- Major Edvin Evans 1917-1920
- Col LMCD Robison ED 1920-1932
- Col SA Packman OBE MC 1932-1938
- Col Robert Patrick ED 1938-1943
- Col RJF Mendis OBE ED 1943-1948
- Lt Col HVC De Silva ED 1948-1951
- Col R Sabanayagam OBE 1951-1955
- Bvt Col TN Munasinghe ED 1955-1960
- Lt Col HCF Abeykoon ED 1960-1961
- Lt Col HSR Gunawardana 1961-1965
- Lt Col PD Ramanayaka 1965-1968
- Lt Col EA Perusinghe ED 1968-1969
- Bvt Col GW Rajapaksha ED 1969-1973
- Bvt Col KPG Nilame ED 1973-1977
- Bvt Col RB Narampanawa ED 1977-1980
- Bvt Col NBS Balalle 1980-1984
- Lt Col HKDA Fernando 1984-1987
- Maj Gen E. G. Thevanayagam, VSV 1987-1991
- Col HW senevirathna (Actg) 1991
- Brig Justus B Rodrigo, VSV 1991-1994
- Maj Gen T. N. De Silva, USP 1994-1999
- Col YL Kulasooriya (Actg) 1999-2000
- Brig GSM Ranathunga, USP 2000-2002
- Col RM Somapala (Actg) 2002
- Maj Gen WR Wijerathne, USP 2002-2004
- Brig DHMRB Thammita, RSP 2004-2005
- Maj Gen GBW Jayasundara RWP RSP 2005-2013
See also
- Cadet
- Royal College Colombo