22.04.2016.

All units celebrated the Serbian Armed Forces Day

Military ceremonies, parades of units and laying of wreaths and flowers at the memorials to fallen members have been conducted today in all the commands, units and institutions of Serbia to celebrate the Serbian Armed Forces Day –23April.

Serbian Armed ForcesChief of General Staff General Ljubisa Dikovic, after the celebration on the occasion of the Serbian Armed ForcesDay at the General Staff, visited the "Rastko Nemanjić" barracks in Pancevo, where the biggest military holiday was jointly celebrated by all the units of the garrison town of Pancevo.

The ceremony was also attended by the retired members of the units, President of the Pancevo Assembly Tigran Kis, representatives of the Ministry of Interior, Serbian Orthodox church, local government and economic life of that region.

Congratulating on the holiday, General Dikovic said that members of the Serbian Armed Forces were dedicated to the execution of tasks, even at the cost of exposing their lives to danger.

- Milos’s troopers did the same back in 1815, on Palm Sunday, when they went into the decisive struggle for liberation from centuries of slavery under the Turks. We are markingthe 201stanniversary of the Second Serbian Uprising proud of the results that the members of the Serbian ArmedForceshave achieved in the year behind us, thanks to the hard work, sacrifice, high patriotism, military discipline and high moral qualities of all members.

He stressed that the Armed Forces, despite the difficulties, managed to accomplish a number of tasks.

- The Serbian Armed Forces improves its capabilities every day and is able to carry out all its missions and tasks; it is nowadays a reliable factor of the stability of the Republic of Serbia and the region, General Dikovic said adding that this and the next year will not be easy, but "for soldiers it will be manageable."

- Let's go forward, step by step, to build a better society and better capabilities and no surrender, Dikovic said, adding that today's victories pertain to our strength and ability.

After the military ceremony, at which congratulations by the President of the Republic of Serbia and the Minister of Defence on the occasion of the Serbian ArmedForcesDay were read, as well as the orders on the awards and incentive measures, there was a parade of the units.

The Chief of General Staff and the President of the Municipal Assembly of Pancevo visited the memorial room of the Special Brigade, where they laid wreaths in honour of the fallen and deceased members of that unit.

Deputy Chief of General Staff Lieutenant General Jovica Draganic attended the celebration of the Serbian Armed Forces Day at the Batajnica airport. The ceremony was attended by the commander of the Air Force and Air Defence, Major General Ranko Zivak, active and retired members of the 204thAviation Brigade and the Training Centre of the Air Forceand Air Defence, representatives of the local government, Serbian Orthodox Church, veterans' organizations and economic organizations of Zemun and Batajnica.

- We are proud of the results achieved in the period between the two holidays. Thanks to hard work, sacrifice, dedication and professionalism in carrying out everyday tasks, the members of the Air Forceand Air Defence, in spite of difficulties and problems, managed to fulfil all their obligations. All members of the 204thAviation Brigade and other units stationed at the Batajnica airport dedicated their lives to honourable and responsible profession and the noble cause. I ask from you to work so that the generations that come after us be proud of our work and the army we are leaving to them,so that they can further strengthen and build it, General Draganic said, among other things.

The ceremony in the Nis barracks "Knjaz Mihailo" was attended by Army Commander Lieutenant General Milosav Simovic, Mayor of Nis, Zoran Perisic, Head of Nisava Administrative District Aleksandar Cvetkovic, Commander of the Third Army Brigade Brigadier General Mile Jelic, representatives of the Serbian Orthodox Church, veteran’s associations, the Ministry of Interior, retired members of the Armed Forces, families of the promoted members of the ArmedForces and numerous other guests.

On behalf of the Chief of General Staff, all members and himself personally, General Simovic congratulated all the soldiers, NCOs, officers and civilians on the Serbian Armed Forces Day.

- I congratulate you on the results achieved, with a desire to continue to work with a lot of love for our families, the profession we have chosen, fatherland, which we love, and all citizens whom weprotect in Nis and our dear country, precious Serbia –Simovic said.

Commander of the Training Command Lieutenant General Djokica Petrovic celebrated the Serbian Armed Forces Day in Valjevo with members of the Second Training Centre.

In the presence of Deputy Commander of Joint Operations Command, Major General Slavoljub Janicijevic, members of the Guard led by Commander Major General Milomir Todorovic celebrated the Serbian Armed Forces Day in the Dedinje barracks.

Congratulating the members of our elite units on the holiday, General Todorovic recalled that the Second Serbian Uprising was raised by the founder of the Guard, Prince Milos Obrenovic.

- We now walk in the footsteps of our famous ancestors, proud of their heroism, and in the years of enormous temptations we are successfully completing all the tasks thus significantly contributing to raising the reputation of our honourable profession in the country and abroad, the GuardCommander said.

The Serbian Armed Forces Day was established to be marked on 23 April at the memory of the Palm Sunday in 1815, when Milos Obrenovic raised the Second Serbian Uprising in Takovo and thus marked the beginning of the creation of the modern Serbian state.

Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic, Defence Minister Zoran Djordjevic and SAF Chief of General Staff General Ljubisa Dikovic congratulated the members of the Serbian ArmedForceson the greatestmilitary holiday.

The central ceremony on the occasion of the Serbian ArmedForcesand the Victory Day on 9 May will be reflected in Zrenjanin.