05.02.2022.
Military Academy cadets undergo cold-weather training
Over the past two weeks, the Military Academy’s 145th Class have conducted cold-weather training at the 51st Ski Training Centre on Kopaonik Mountain. The training includes physical education, military topography, weapons and tactical training.
In physical education classes, which are the most numerous, the cadets have successfully undergone training in alpine, Nordic and tour skiing, and as part of the military topography curriculum - patrolling over unfamiliar terrain and navigation in winter conditions using topographic map, hand compass, orthoimage, digital compass and a laser rangefinder.
Future SAF officers have undergone daytime and night training in map and compass navigation and patrolling, with the daytime route being 10 kilometres long, twice as long as the night route.During tactical training, special attention was paid to building improvised shelters for protection and rest in cold weather, and using weapons in parallel with ski equipment, so for the first time the cadets had the opportunity to use touring skis, air soft rifles, procured by the Military Academy this year, and targets in their weapons training. These are three new things that, according to the instructor, have greatly improved the interest and motivation among the cadets.
Lieutenant Colonel Zdenko Šiljak, campground commander, points out that, despite the challenging weather conditions, they have kept to the camp plan and that, while staying on Kopaonik, the cadets acquired new knowledge and skills that they will find useful once they assume their first officer duties.
Second-year cadet Teodora Jovanović says that the training has been truly comprehensive and that her colleagues and commanding officers are satisfied with the results achieved.
- We have also conducted a demonstration of skills, the crown of our training on Kopaonik. Special forms of instruction provide cadets with diverse skills that we will use the most during our career, points out Cadet Teodora Jovanović.
Her colleague, Cadet Nikola Malić, adds that during the training on Kopaonik, they have successfully mastered Nordic, alpine and tour skiing, which will make it much easier for them to move across the terrain.
- Our ski instructors have generously passed on their knowledge to us, and we have done our best to adopt it, so I can say for sure that now every cadet in the 145th Class knows how to ski. This training is a combination of theory and practice, and we could see how important collective spirit and teamwork are for completing the assigned tasks, says Nikola Malić, second year Military Academy cadet.Please note that the competition for enrolment in military schools will be open from February 15 to March 31. Boys and girls who want to attend the Military Academy, the Military Medical Academy’s Medical Faculty, the Military Grammar School and the Secondary Vocational Military School can apply.
We remind you that there is an open competition for the Air Force and Air Defence NCO Course, and interested candidates can apply for it until the beginning of March. Also, those interested in the Reserve Aviation Officers Course can submit their applications until March 31, 2022. For more information on the requirements and the method of applying, click on the following links:
Open competition for applicants for the Reserve Officers Course (aviation branch)
Open competition for the admission into professional military service as non-commissioned officers on permanent basis
