28.05.2020.

Promotions and awards to the most deserving members in the fight against Covid-19

Minister Vulin: Serbia has armed forces that are capable of defeating both visible and invisible enemies

In the presence of the Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces, Major General Petar Cvetković, the Minister of Defence, Aleksandar Vulin, presented the most deserving members of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces with military commemorative medals and congratulated them on their contribution to the implementation of measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and providing assistance to the civilian population, at today's reception in the Great War Hall of the Old General Staff.

Thirty-five members of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces were awarded the highest military recognitions within the competence of the Minister of Defence, military commemorative medals for exceptional contribution to the defence system and exceptional results in military service, while 13 members of MoD and SAF were promoted to a higher rank.

Minister Vulin congratulated the promoted and awarded members, all those who won this battle, on behalf of the President of the Republic and the Supreme Commander of the Serbian Armed Forces, Aleksandar Vučić.

- I would like to convey to you the expression of his personal respect for everything you have done and the hope that you will continue doing so. The battle you have fought and are still fighting, because it is not over yet, has been a battle for the lives of all of us. Regardless of whether someone was ill or not, all of us could have fallen ill or even lost our lives. And especially you, who were in the front line, whether in Covid hospitals, or in the hospitals for patients with mild symptoms, or whether you carried out your daily tasks and duties, provided security to migrant camps, social welfare institutions, hospitals, and health centres. All of you worked for the citizens of Serbia, without thinking about yourself. That is your greatest virtue. None of you, and I had the opportunity to see most of you exactly in the places where it was the most difficult, have asked if there would be awards or when all this would end. None of you asked if this was too much of a risk and what would happen the next day. You all carried out orders and fought as if your own lives and the lives of your family members were at stake. That is your greatest virtue and greatest value, because you did not ask what the risk was, but what had to be done and who should be helped - said Minister Vulin.

He added that it was easier for Serbia as well. It felt calmer and safer seeing its armed forces and knowing that they were there.

- As they say, everyone shows their true face in hard times. Some show themselves in the best light, and some in their worst. The Serbian Armed Forces showed themselves in the best light thanks to you, thanks to each of you. Promotion, medals, and praise cannot express how genuinely grateful we are to you, but they can remind you and your families of the hard times and times when your courage and your effort were appreciated. I want to thank your families. If it hadn’t been for them, you might not have been so brave or so successful - Minister Vulin emphasized, adding that families who supported each of them and shared their fears and hopes, knew that our members were fighting for something that is more valuable than any of us - for Serbia and its life.

According to Minister Vulin, once this is over, once it ends with victory, because Serbs and Serbia cannot help but be victorious, we will remember these days, nights, and people who were saved and those who are no longer with us.

- We will remember and in that memory we will have the right to be grateful for the strength and courage we have shown. Wiser people than me say that a man has nothing more to hope for than to be remembered by someone with gratitude. You will be remembered with gratitude by all those who fought and all those for whom you and all of us fought together. And Serbia has reason to be proud of each of you, to be calm, confident and safe, because it has armed forces that are capable of defeating both visible and invisible enemies - said Minister Vulin.

On behalf of the promoted and awarded members of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces, Colonel Veljko Milić, the chief medical coordinator of the temporary military hospital at the Belgrade Fair, thanked the President of the Republic and the Minister of Defence for recognizing their work and awarding it.

- Military honour and medical ethics were our most powerful weapons in this fight. At first we did not know what kind of enemy we were fighting against. However, not for a moment did we have a dilemma that this is a fight for our people, and we entered that fight absolutely ready. Throughout our recent history, there have been many crises - from the NATO aggression in 1999, to floods, earthquakes, migrant crises, and all members of the Serbian Armed Forces have had responsible tasks, in the front lines and have shown exceptional results. Our work has been recognized by the leadership and has been adequately rewarded - said Colonel Milić and thanked the Minister of Defence for his daily presence in the field which significantly contributed to all tasks being performed fully and in the best way. He finished his speech by saying that he and his colleagues are proud to serve Serbia.

Mlađan Garić of the Military Healthcare Department also received early promotion to the rank of colonel. He says that this promotion is a big honour for him.

- I think that, like all my colleagues, I did my job during the state of emergency and tried to give my contribution in the suppression of the viral disease. One of my tasks is to take care of the temporary hospital at the Belgrade Fair, where we tried and are still trying to provide the best possible conditions for the treatment of Covid-19 patients - Colonel Garić pointed out, adding that his promotion will be an incentive in performing tasks in the future.

As of today, Velibor Pašić, who was assigned to the duties of supplying medicines, medical supplies and protective equipment to units of the Serbian Armed Forces and to hospitals and clinics, has the rank of Sergeant Major First Class.

- This promotion means a lot to me, because it is an expression of gratitude for the effort I have made all this time - Sergeant Major First Class Pašić emphasized.

Today, Minister Vulin also presented a military commemorative medal to Dr. Radmila Dimitrijević-Rajić, an infectious disease specialist at the Clinic for Infectious and Tropical Diseases of the Military Medical Academy.

- The medal that I have been awarded today is an award that I receive on behalf of all my colleagues who fought to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 epidemic. I am especially honoured to receive this medal because I am an infectious disease specialist and I believe that it is the crown of all the work that we have done so far - said Dr. Dimitrijević-Rajić, who was engaged in the Covid hospital at the Zemun Clinical Hospital Centre, at the reception and triage of Covid patients.

So far, the Minister of Defence has awarded 64 military commemorative medals, 25 plaques of the Ministry of Defence, 128 letters of appreciation, 33 commendations, 66 time-off awards and 223 stays in the military rest and recreation facilities to the members of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces, as well as to persons and institutions outside the defence system, including members of the delegations of the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China, for their engagement in implementing measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

Today's ceremony was also attended by members of the Collegiums of the Minister of Defence and the Chief of the General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces.