Complex sentence: The Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) is the most senior appointment in the Sri Lankan Armed Forces, and the highest-ranking military officer in service, outranking the heads of each service branch.
Split into simpler sentences: The Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) is the most senior appointment in the Sri Lankan Armed Forces. CDS is the highest-ranking military officer serving in the armed forces and outranks all respective heads of each service branch.