Sri Lanka, Sept. 29 -- Lieutenant General Joel "JB" Vowell, Deputy Commanding General of U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC), arrived in Colombo today for a three-day official visit aimed at strengthening military cooperation between the United States and Sri Lanka.

Vowell is scheduled to remain in Sri Lanka from September 29 to October 1, in what the US Embassy described as an important milestone in the development of US-Sri Lanka Army-to-Army relations.

The visit is also being described as the first by a US Army officer of Vowell's rank to Sri Lanka. Vowell currently serves as Deputy Commanding General of USARPAC, headquartered at Fort Shafter in Hawaii.

US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Eric Meyer said the visit reflects the growing security partn...