Peacekeepers from the First Brigade sent off to Lebanon
Serbian Armed Forces Chief of General Staff, General Ljubisa Dikovic has attended, in ‘Jugovicevo’ barracks in Novi Sad, today, the send-off ceremony for members of the First Army Brigade infantry company to United Nations peacekeeping operation in Lebanon – UNIFIL.
-It is not an easy task ahead of you. You are going on a complex, demanding and responsible task that you can accomplish completely and in the best possible way. All the preparations have been carried out with you and you successfully completed the pre-deployment training, to be prepared for everything that you may encounter in it. You will see the confirmation of my assessment about it in at least six months, when you all come back here to this same place, to your parents, spouses, children, in good health, as we are sending you today – General Dikovic said, addressing the members of the company, as he said, mostly as a parent, friend, but also as a soldier.
General Dikovic said that this was the second unit of the First Army Brigade leaving for the mission to Lebanon, and stressed that those before them were successful.
- Those before you performed their tasks with honour and dignity, as we expected, and as befits a Serbian soldier who represents the citizens of Serbia and their country in the best possible way – General Dikovic pointed out.
Addressing the commanders, General Dikovic said that they have great responsibility – to execute the task and save people.
I know that you are ready to carry this burden and successfully command and control people; to carefully monitor their actions and direct their work.
Chief of General Staff General Ljubisa Dikovic officially handed over the flag of the Republic of Serbia which will be with the unit during its stay in Lebanon, to infantry company commander, Captain Vladimir Bozovic.
Apart from Brigadier General Zeljko Petrovic, Commander of the First Brigade, the send-off ceremony for 130 members of the infantry company and 12 members of the National Support Element leaving for the peacekeeping operation, which includes 9 female soldiers, was also attended by Bishop Jovan of Sumadia, also in charge of the Serbian Armed Forces, representatives of the province, the city of Novi Sad and Zrenjanin, heads of administrative districts, representatives of the Ministry of Defence, the Serbian Armed Forces, Ministry of Interior, numerous citizens, relatives and friends of members of the infantry company.
Sergeant Major Goran Djukic, commander of the maintenance division in the logistic platoon, says that it is a great honour for him already that he was selected in the composition of the company and that he will be able to represent both his unit and his state of Serbia and especially to gain professional experience, improve knowledge, particularly the opportunity to share experiences with fellow members of other armies.
Second Lieutenant Biljana Savic, commander of infantry platoon is militarily short and clear –We are going to this responsible and honourable task completely and comprehensively prepared. It feels great – pride, honour and responsibility.