The Sri Lankan Armed Forces award medals and their associated ribbon bars in recognition of various levels of service, personal accomplishments and commemorative events while a regular- or volunteer serviceperson is a member of the Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy and the Sri Lanka Air Force. Together with military badges, such awards are a means to outwardly display the highlights of a serviceperson's career.
Medals for gallantry
Parama Weera Vibhushanaya (Order of the Supreme Valour) Weerodara Vibhushanaya (Order of Courage) Weera Wickrama Vibhushanaya (Order of Conspicuous Gallantry) Rana Wickrama Padakkama (Combat Gallantry Medal) Rana Sura Padakkama (Combat Excellence Medal)
Sri Lanka orders Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya (Distinguished Service Order) Karyakshama Seva Vibhushanaya (Efficient Service Order) (Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force) Prashansaniya Seva Vibhushanaya (Commendable Service Order) (Sri Lanka Volunteer Naval Force)
Wound medals Uththama Pooja Pranama Padakkama (Medal of Honour for Supreme Sacrifice) Desha Puthra Sammanaya (Son of the Nation Award)
Medals for long service and good conduct Uththama Seva Padakkama (Meritorious Service Medal) Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal Karyakshama Seva Padakkama (Efficient Service Medal) (Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force) Prashansaniya Seva Padakkama (Commendable Service Medal) (Sri Lanka Volunteer Naval Force) Videsha Seva Padakkama (Foreign Service Medal)
War service medals
Eastern Humanitarian Operations Medal Northern Humanitarian Operations Medal Purna Bhumi Padakkama North and East Operations Medal Vadamarachchi Operation Medal Riviresa Campaign Services Medal
Peacetime service medals Sewabhimani Padakkama (Meritorious Service Medal) Sewa Padakkama (Service medal)
Commemorative medals Ceylon Armed Services Inauguration Medal - 1951 Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal - 1953 Republic of Sri Lanka Armed Services Medal - 1972 Sri Lanka Army 25th Anniversary Medal - 1974 Sri Lanka Navy 25th Anniversary Medal - 1975 Sri Lanka Air Force 25th Anniversary Medal - 1976 President's Inauguration Medal - 1978 Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force Centenary Medal - 1981 (Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force) 50th Independence Anniversary Commemoration Medal - 1998 Sri Lanka Army 50th Anniversary Medal - 1999 Sri Lanka Navy 50th Anniversary Medal - 2000 Sri Lanka Air Force 50th Anniversary Medal - 2001 75th Independence Day Commemoration Medal - 2023 Sri Lanka Army 75th Anniversary Medal - 2024 Sri Lanka Navy 75th Anniversary Medal - 2025 Sri Lanka Air Force 75th Anniversary Medal - 2026
United Nations Service Medals
The United Nations Medal for participation in UN peacekeeping operations: United Nations Operation in the Congo (MONUC) - 1960 United Nations Security Force in West New Guinea - October 1962 to April 1963 United Nations India-Pakistan Observation Mission - 1965, 1966 United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan United Nations Operation in Mozambique - 1992 to 1994 United Nations Truce Supervision Organization United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti - since 2004 United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon - since 2010 United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) - since 2014 United Nations Mission in South Sudan - since 2015 United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) - since December 2017 United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti - since 2017 United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNIFSA) United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINUSRO)
Former decorations and medals
Dominion of Ceylon (1949 - 1972)
From its formation in 1949, the Ceylon Armed Forces continued the use of British military decorations. This was discontinued in 1956 with a suspension of nominations for British honours; until Sri Lanka's republican constitution of 1972, the following awards were used:
Officer of the Order of the British Empire (Military Division) (suspended in 1956) Member of the Order of the British Empire (Military Division) (suspended in 1956) Efficiency Decoration (Ceylon) (1930 - 1972) Efficiency Medal (Ceylon) (1930 - 1972) Decoration for Officers of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (1938-1950) Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (1938-1950) Queen's Medal for Champion Shots in the Military Forces (1954-1966) Ceylon Armed Services Long Service Medal (1961 - 1972) General Service Medal (Malaya Clasp) (1949 to Ceylon Pioneers)
Colonial (pre-1948) Imperial and local medals awarded for military service to the colony and empire.
Capture of Ceylon Medal (1807) Ceylon Medal (1818) Volunteer Officers' Decoration (1892-1930) Volunteer Long Service Medal for India and the Colonies (1892-1930) Queen's South Africa Medal (1989-1900 for service with the British Imperial Forces) King Edward VII Coronation Medal (1902) King George V Coronation Medal (1911) British War Medal (1914-1918 for service with the British Army) Victory Medal (1914-1918 for service with the British Army) Ceylon Volunteer Service Medal (1914-1919) King George V Silver Jubilee Medal (1935) King George VI Coronation Medal (1937) War Medal 1939–1945 (1939-1945) Defence Medal (1939-1945) Burma Star (1939-1945 for service with the British Army) Africa Star (1939-1945 for service with the Royal Army Service Corps) 1939-1945 Star (1939-1945 for service with the Royal Air Force) Air Crew Europe Star (1939-1945 for service with the Royal Air Force)
Order of precedence The various decorations and medals are worn in the order stipulated for each service by its service commander.
Sri Lanka Army The order in which decorations and medals are to be worn have been defined in the Dress Regulation of the Sri Lanka Army.
Ribbon Award Postnominals Established Parama Weera Vibhushanaya PWV 1981 Weerodara Vibhushanaya WV 1981 Weera Wickrama Vibhushanaya WWV 1981 Rana Wickrama Padakkama RWP 1981 Rana Sura Padakkama RSP 1981 Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya VSV 1981 Karyakshama Seva Vibhushanaya(Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force) KSV 1972 Uththama Seva Padakkama USP 1981 Karyakshama Seva Padakkama(Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force) KSP 1972 Desha Puthra Sammanaya - 1972 Eastern Humanitarian Operations Medal - 2010 Northern Humanitarian Operations Medal - 2010 Purna Bhumi Padakkama - 1977 North and East Operations Medal - 1983 Vadamarachchi Operation Medal - 1983 Riviresa Campaign Services Medal - 1996 Queen’s Medal for Best Shooter in the Army - 1954 Republic of Sri Lanka Armed Services Medal - 1972 Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal - 1953 Sri Lanka Army 25th Anniversary Medal - 1974 50th Independence Anniversary Commemoration Medal - 1998 75th Independence Day Commemoration Medal - 2023 Sri Lanka Army 50th Anniversary Medal - 1999 Ceylon Armed Services Long Service Medal(Replaced by the Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal) - 1968 Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal - 1979 President's Inauguration Medal - 1978 Ceylon Armed Services Inauguration Medal - 1955 Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force Centenary Medal - 1981 Sewabhimani Padakkama - 2019 Sewa Padakkama - 2019 Videsha Seva Padakkama - 1981 United Nations Medals - Various
Sri Lanka Navy
Ribbon Award Postnominals Established Parama Weera Vibhushanaya PWV 1981 Weerodara Vibhushanaya WV 1981 Weera Wickrama Vibhushanaya WWV 1981 Rana Wickrama Padakkama RWP 1981 Rana Sura Padakkama RSP 1981 Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya VSV 1981 Uththama Seva Padakkama USP 1981 Videsha Seva Padakkama - 1981 Republic of Sri Lanka Armed Services Medal - 1972 Sri Lanka Navy 50th Anniversary Medal - 2000 Sri Lanka Navy 25th Anniversary Medal - 1975 Ceylon Armed Services Long Service Medal(Replaced by the Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal) - 1968 Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal - 1979 Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal - 1953 President's Inauguration Medal - 1978 50th Independence Anniversary Commemoration Medal - 1998 75th Independence Day Commemoration Medal - 2023 Desha Puthra Sammanaya - 1972 Sewabhimani Padakkama - 2019 Sewa Padakkama - 2019 Eastern Humanitarian Operations Medal - 2010 Northern Humanitarian Operations Medal - 2010 Purna Bhumi Padakkama - 1977 North and East Operations Medal - 1983 Vadamarachchi Operation Medal - 1983 Riviresa Campaign Services Medal - 1996 Prashansaniya Seva Vibhushanaya(Sri Lanka Volunteer Naval Force) PSV 2000 Prashansaniya Seva Padakkama(Sri Lanka Volunteer Naval Force) PSP 2000 Ceylon Armed Services Inauguration Medal - 1955
Sri Lanka Air Force
Ribbon Award Postnominals Established Parama Weera Vibhushanaya PWV 1981 Weerodara Vibhushanaya WV 1981 Weera Wickrama Vibhushanaya WWV 1981 Rana Wickrama Padakkama RWP 1981 Rana Sura Padakkama RSP 1981 Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya VSV 1981 Uththama Seva Padakkama USP 1981 Videsha Seva Padakkama - 1981 Republic of Sri Lanka Armed Services Medal - 1972 Sri Lanka Air Force 25th Anniversary Medal - 1976 Sri Lanka Air Force 50th Anniversary Medal - 2001 Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal - 1953 Ceylon Armed Services Long Service Medal(Replaced by the Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal) - 1968 Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal - 1979 President's Inauguration Medal - 1978 50th Independence Anniversary Commemoration Medal - 1998 75th Independence Day Commemoration Medal - 2023 Desha Puthra Sammanaya - 1972 Sewabhimani Padakkama - 2019 Sewa Padakkama - 2019 Eastern Humanitarian Operations Medal - 2010 Northern Humanitarian Operations Medal - 2010 Purna Bhumi Padakkama - 1977 North and East Operations Medal - 1983 Vadamarachchi Operation Medal - 1983 Riviresa Campaign Services Medal - 1996 Ceylon Armed Services Inauguration Medal - 1955 United Nations Medals - Various
See also Sri Lankan campaign medals Awards and decorations of the Sri Lanka Police Orders, decorations, and medals of Sri Lanka
Notes
References
External links
Sri Lanka Army Medals Sri Lanka Navy Medals Sri Lanka Air Force Medals