Parami Kulatunga
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Lieutenant General Parami Kulatunga(ලුතිනන් ජනරාල් පාරමී කූලතූංග)(RSP, DPS) (born circa 1950 in Kandy, died June 26, 2006) was Deputy Chief of Staff of the Sri Lankan Army, its third highest ranking officer. Inspiring and poignant Memorial Dedication for Lt. Gen. Kulatunga was held at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania on October 11, 2006.
[edit] Military career
Parami Kulatunga graduated from Trinity College, Kandy. He enlisted in the Sri Lankan Army on 20 July 1971, after his initial military training he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant and subsequently posted to the 1st Battalion of the Gemunu Watch on 14 October 1972.
24.07.1974: Promoted to First Lieutenant.
24.07.1977: Promoted to Captain.
01.06.1982: Promoted to Major.
24.03.1989: Appointed as Staff officer to the Intelligence Operation headquarters, (MOD)
01.10.1989: Promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel, he continued working at MOD.
06.01.1990: Appointed as a General Staff officer to the 23rd Brigade.
27.06.1993: Promoted to Colonel, at General Staff headquarters 2nd Division.
31.11.1993: Appointed Deputy Commandant of the Sir John Kotalawala Defence Academy at Ratmalana.
10.06.1994: Appointed the Assistant Military Secretary MOD.
01.12.1994: Promoted to Brigadier, he took command of the 22nd Brigade Trincomalee.
28.12.1996: Appointed the Director of Training at the army headquarters.
01.10.1997: Appointed Deputy General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 56th and 54th Divisions.
28.11.1999: Appointed General Officer Commanding of the 52nd Division, Varani.
01.05.2000: Promoted to Major-General, and appointed as GOC of the 11th Division, Panagoda.
06.09.2003: Appointed the Director General of the General Staff, army HQ
10.08.2004: Appointed Commander of Security Forces HQ, Wanni.
06.12.2005: Appointed the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka army.
[edit] Awards and decorations
The main military decorations Kulatunga received were; Rana Sura Padakkama(RSP), Riviresa Campaign Services Medal, Purna Bhumi Padakkama, North and East Operations Medal, Desha Putra Sammanaya amongst others.
On the morning of 26 June he was killed by a Tamil Tiger suicide bomber who drove an explosives laden motorbike into his official vehicle as it was driving to a military base at Panipitiya near Colombo. He was age 55.
Major-General Parami Kulatunga was posthumously promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General effective from 28 June 2006.
