04.10.2017.
Training of reservists at the Krivul firing range near Zaječar
On the basis of the Annual Call-up and Training Plan for persons from the reserve force, who are on a scheduled wartime post in the Timok Brigade, in the camp area and the Krivul direct fire engagement system, near Zaječar, their two-week training is underway. These are members who make up a company equivalent unit, who were called up through the local centres of the Ministry of Defence Zaječar, Bor, Negotin and Pirot.
The training organized by the Timok Brigade Development Command is carried out in three parts, starting from the individual basic, specialist and collective training of a group - detachment.
As part of the first infantry company, persons from the reserve element are trained for the following specialties: gunman, automatic rifleman, machine gunner, sniper, sightsetter and various operators, but also for radio telegraphers, medical technicians and drivers.
The commander of the Timok Brigade Development Command, Lieutenant Colonel Vladica Vučković says that similar activity has not been realised for many years, because the reserve military element was mainly called up for one-day exercises.
- This year, conditions have been created to train the company equivalent unit for two weeks, and the primary goal is to train persons from the reserve element for the execution of specific tasks in camp conditions, which are close to the war conditions. Most of the persons have not been in such activities since they had completed their military service, so the goal is to refresh their knowledge and improve their skills, but also to learn something new - Lieutenant Colonel Vučković says and explains that, during the present day, they conducted firing from personal weapons under activity No1, from the automatic rifle, machine gun and sniper rifle.
Today's firing was a practical test of the current level of training, and the commander of the Timok Brigade Development Command says that he was extremely satisfied with the motivation and commitment of people in training, who he claims to be completely comparable to the active units in certain segments.
- We focus our efforts on practical actions and procedures because only a well-trained soldier can adequately respond to the set tasks.
The commander of the company consisting of reserve officers, Major Marijan Stamenković, emphasizes that in the framework of tactical and fire training today, we have had the opportunity to see the realization of firing with automatic and sniper rifle and automatic rifle, under numbers one and two, which is the crown of the previous training.
- I am very pleased with the results, but also the motivation of the soldiers from the reserve forces, and it was a pleasure to see that they progress from day to day, as there are among them those who served their military service more than 20 years ago. This is just another confirmation that the Serbian Armed Forces can at any moment count on persons from the reserve element.
Reserve Sergeant Ivan Antunović from Zaječar, leader of the detachment of the1st platoon of the 1st company of the Timok Brigade, says that relatively recently, about a year and a half ago, he was at a military exercise in Pančevo, in training for reserve non-commissioned officers.
"That is why this two-week training is not hard for me, especially because we fitted in well and there is a good atmosphere among people, and the commanding officers are very correct to us, so that the conditions are really good, and colleagues quickly adapted to the field conditions", Antunović says and adds that, with a few blisters and some "small chills", there were no major problems.
Corporal Ivan Živić was in the military exercise for the first time after he had served his military service more than twenty years ago.
I am very pleased with how everything goes and I would tell young people who receive the call for such an exercise to respond to it because everything we do is useful in many ways, and I would just add that the food is really good, and the commanding officers are correct to us and they meet all our requests", the corporal says emphasizing that "it is especially nice" that colleagues come from different parts, so he met many people from Negotin, other towns and surrounding villages. Apart from socializing, it is especially important to consider the fact that they have significantly improved their knowledge and he also underlines that during the training they really tried to successfully master all the training contents.
In parallel with the training of the infantry company, training of persons from the reserve forces of logistics specialties is taking place in the barracks in Zaječar, which is of particular importance.
According to the Commander of the Timok Brigade Development Command, Lieutenant Colonel Vladica Vučković, the goal of their training is to rebuild previously acquired knowledge "from the army", as well as to help in the realization of content from the domain of logistics, especially when it comes to reconstruction and repairs of defective motor vehicles and preparation and distribution of food. These are persons who are mechanics and electromechanics for wheeled motor vehicles and cooks.
