Waiting for my friend, Mrs. Willy-by Admiral Ravindra c Wijegunaratne (The writer is a former member of the Navy Special Boats Squadron, the elite naval commando unit.) Source:Island The Navy deployed small groups on the enemy-held beaches for reconnaissance during the war against the LTTE. These highly trained four-member groups of the Special Boats Squadron (SBS) personnel infiltrated the LTTE-held terrain under cover of darkness, risking their lives. They stayed there either for reconnaissance or setting up caches of ammunition and other supplies needed for future operations in the areas concerned. When dangerous operations were conducted behind enemy lines, I, as the CO SBS, committing my best men for such missions, confined myself to a cell of sorts; I stayed in operations room with a secure communication set, eating the same rations as my boys—on some days only chocolate—until they accomplished their missions and returned to base safely. Then, I ...

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