Awards and decorations of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces



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 Ultimate Brave)
 * Weerodara Vibhushanaya (Order of Bravery)
 * Weera Wickrama Vibhushanaya (Conspicuous Gallantry Order)
 * Rana Wickrama Padakkama (Combat Gallantry Medal)
 * Rana Sura Padakkama (Combat Excellance 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 Putra Sammanaya (Son of the Nation Award)

Medals for long service and good conduct

 * Uttama 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

United Nations Service Medals
The United Nations Medal for participation in UN peacekeeping operations:
 * ONUC Medal bar.svg United Nations Operation in the Congo (MONUC) - 1960
 * UNSF UNTEA Medal bar.svg United Nations Security Force in West New Guinea - October 1962 to April 1963
 * UNMOGIP Medal bar.gif United Nations India-Pakistan Observation Mission - 1965, 1966
 * UNMOGIP Medal bar.gif United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan
 * ONUMOZ Medal bar.gif United Nations Operation in Mozambique - 1992 to 1994
 * United Nations Truce Supervision Organization ribbon bar.png United Nations Truce Supervision Organization
 * UNMIH.svg United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti - since 2004
 * UNIFIL ribbon bar.svg United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon - since 2010
 * UN MINUSCA ribbon.png United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) - since 2014
 * UNMISS Ribbon bar.svg United Nations Mission in South Sudan - since 2015
 * MINUSMA Medal ribbon.png United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) - since December 2017
 * UNMIH.svg United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti - since 2017
 * UNISFA Ribbon bar.svg United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNIFSA)
 * UN Medal MINURSO ribbon bar.svg United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINUSRO)

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.