Y. Balaretnarajah

Major General Y. Balaretnarajah, VSV, USP, ndc, SLAC is a Sri Lankan military leader, he was the Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army; Commandant of the Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force; GOC, 1 Division; Brigade Commander of the Armoured Brigade, 21 Brigade, 24 Brigade and Commander, Security Forces, Jaffna.

Education
Born July 22, 1939 he was educated at the St. John's College, Jaffna and at the Jaffna College. Joining the Ceylon Army in November 1959, he received his basic officer training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. He had completed the Armour Young Officers Course of the British Army at the Royal Armoured Corps Training Centre and Advance Armour Officers Course of the Indian Army. He is also a graduate of National Defence College, India.

Military career
After completion of basic officer training Balaretnarajah commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Ceylon Armoured Corps on December 21, 1961. He served as a Troop Leader of the 1st Reconnaissance Regiment, Officer Instructor at the Army Training Centre, Diyatalawa and a Staff Officer at the Army Headquarters and Northern Command Headquarters during the 1971 Insurrection before returning to the 1st Reconnaissance Regiment as a Squadron Commander with the rank of Captain. Promoted to the rank of Major he was the Deputy Commandant, Army Training Centre, Diyatalawa before becoming a Staff Officer in the Logistics Command with the rank of Leiutenant Colonel.

As a colonel he headed the Logistics Command as Director Logistics and was promoted to the rank of Brigadier in 1986. With the out set of the Sri Lankan Civil War and the insurrection 1987-89 he raised and commanded the 24 Brigade and thereafter was appointed brigade commander of the 21 brigade based out of Jaffna, before becoming the Commander, Security Forces, Jaffna. During this period he also raised and commanded the armoured brigade and functioned as the first armoured brigade commander.

In 1989, he was promoted to the rank of Major General and was appointed as the general officer commanding (GOC), the Sri Lanka Army's 1 Division. Thereafter he was appointed as Commandant, Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force before becoming the Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army. He had also served as the Regimental Commander of the Sri Lanka Armoured Corps. He retired from the army with the rank of Major General, in October 1992. He was the President of the Armour Veteran's Association and Vice Patron of the St Johns College Jaffna Old Boys Association South Sri Lanka.

Major General Balaretnarajah has been awarded the service medals Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya, Uttama Seva Padakkama, Ceylon Armed Services Long Service Medal, Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal, Sri Lanka Army 25th Anniversary Medal, President's Inauguration Medal, and the Purna Bhumi Padakkama.