Promotion of new Serbian Armed Forces Non-Commissioned Officers
At the NCO Training and Advancement Centre in Pančevo, a military ceremony was held for the promotion of 12th and 13th class if students of the basic course for non-commissioned officers, where 116 previous professional soldiers were promoted to the rank of a sergeant of the Serbian Armed Forces, after six-month training. The ceremony was attended by Major General Petar Cvetkovic, Deputy Chief of General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces, with a part of the College of the Chief of General Staff, representatives of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces, local self-governments, relatives and friends of the youngest sergeants.
Congratulating on behalf of Lieutenant General Milan Mojsilović, Chief of General Staff, the youngest sergeants of the Serbian Armed Forces, their first non-commissioned officer's rank, General Cvetković pointed out that the defence of the homeland has always been more than an obligation for our people.
- Being a member of the Serbian Armed Forces and participating in preserving the stability of its homeland is the greatest honour for all professional soldiers promoted today to the first non-commissioned officer's ranks. They crossed a long and hard way to be in today's ranks. By responsible and persistent work in their units they deserved opportunity for professional and career development and career advancement. At the first stage of professional career, they are aware that in the new units to which they will be sent they are to expect new and more complex tasks. They will be in front of rank and file, leaders to their soldiers, an example and their first role model. A soldier on every task he performs, both in peace and in war, first sees his commander, a non-commissioned officer, to whom his officers transfer their knowledge and experience. The task of a non-commissioned officer is to drill soldiers in these skills and knowledge in the course of training to perfection - Major General Peter Cvetković said.
The best student of the 13th class of the basic non-commissioned officers' course, Tanasije Radosavljević, wished the youngest leaders success in their work on the new assigned duties.
- I would urge my colleagues in the ranks to recognize the importance of improving their tactical, technical and professional knowledge, skills and abilities, on time, in order to be later sent to career and specialist courses, as this will only contribute to the overall strengthening of the Serbian Armed Forces – Sergeant Radosavljević said.
Three best ranked students in the 13th class, sergeants Tanasije Radosavljević, Bratislav Žarković and Zoran Milošević, as well as the three top ranked students in the 12th class of the basic course for non-commissioned officers Slaviša Pejić, Aleksandar Kostić and Vlada Nenadović were presented with wristwatches.