14.09.2023.
Minister Vučević presents trophy to MP units' competition winners
Today, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Miloš Vučević presented the trophy to the winners of the Military Police units’ competition in "Ribnica" barracks in Kraljevo, after which he attended the celebration of the Military Police Day.
The best of the 9 competing teams was the team composed of members of the Special Operations Battalion "Sokolovi" (Falcons), 72nd Special Operations Brigade, second place was taken by the members of the Special Purpose Military Police Detachment "Kobre", and the Gendarmerie team, Ministry of the Interior, ranked third.Head of the Military Police Directorate, Brigadier General Milan Lazić, presented medals and diplomas to the winners, and to the second-ranked and third-ranked teams he presented trophies, too.
Minister Vučević congratulated all participants in the Military Police units’ competition on their courage and readiness and emphasized that the competition was a test of their individual skills, physical and mental endurance, but also of team spirit.
- I am full of admiration for everyone who has played at least a small part in this competition, first of all as a citizen of Serbia and secondly as the Minister of Defence. I am happy that we have boys and girls like you. I am proud of you, not only because of this competition, but primarily because of what you do every day, of what you have been doing for years and what I believe you will continue doing in the coming period, which will be a challenging one, as they always are when it comes to Serbia and the surrounding region – said Minister Vučevič and thanked the competitors on behalf of all the citizens of Serbia for protecting their homeland, for always responding to the most difficult situations and for carrying out their tasks conscientiously, professionally and patriotically. He especially praised the courage of the only female competitor, a member of the Ministry of the Interior, who competed side by side with her male colleagues over the past several days.According to the Minister of Defence, the profession the military policemen have chosen is a difficult one, but making that choice, they have made a pledge to protect their homeland, state and people.
- You are aware that if it comes to that, and I hope it doesn't, you are going to the places where the situation is the most difficult. And I only ask you for one thing, competitions like this are supposed to strengthen both your individual skills and team spirit. Things like this are supposed to unite us, competitiveness is a good thing, it is good to show competitive spirit, it is good to check who is better prepared, better trained, tougher, but what is more important than anything else is the fact that, in addition to the insignia you wear, representing your units, showing where you work, where you live and what you live for, you also wear common symbols – the coat of arms and the flag of our homeland. And that is the common denominator, regardless of whether you are a member of the 3rd, 5th or 25th Military Police battalion, whether you are a member of "Sokolovi" or "Kobre", whether you serve in the Training Command, Air Force and Air Defence, or whether you are a member of the Gendarmerie or Special Anti-Terrorist Unit or Special Police Units - said Minister Vučević.Congratulating everyone on the Military Police Day, which was also celebrated at “Ribnica” barracks today, the Minister of Defence said that the members of these units were duty-bound to the Military Police because of its long history.
- Brigadier General Lazić, I wish you and all MP members a happy Military Police Day. You are duty-bound to the Military Police because of its glorious 147-year history, because it is the essence of the security of our armed forces, but also of the entire country. General Lazić, please give my sincere congratulations to the members of all Military Police units of the Serbian Armed Forces. Let me greet you with a traditional greeting that always unites us regardless of where we are deployed, what colour uniform we wear, what our unit is – our homeland. Long live Serbia! - Minister Vučević said.To mark the Military Police Day, Head of the Military Police Directorate, Brigadier General Lazić, addressed the gathering, saying that what made the celebration even more special this year, was the successfully completed Military Police units’ competition, in which three Ministry of the Interior teams had also taken part.
- Over the past four days, we’ve had the opportunity to watch the jousting of the members of the Military Police and the Ministry of the Interior units. It was a championship of highly trained individuals and teams. In all stages of the competition, we witnessed the great dedication of each competitor. We’ve seen exceptional results, readiness and skill of all our members - emphasized General Lazić, congratulating all the winners in both individual and team events.
Brigadier General Lazić also touched upon the history of the Military Police units. According to him, since its establishment, the Military Police has always been and remains an elite part of the armed forces. Today, he said, it is a modern, well-equipped, highly trained and publicly recognized part of the armed forces, which by performing complex and responsible tasks makes a full contribution to the preservation and enhancement of the operational and functional capabilities of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces.
When it comes to other results achieved at the Military Police units’ competition, in the first stage of the “Shooting” event, the title of the best MP marksman was won by a member of the Special Operations Battalion "Sokolovi" (72nd Special Operations Brigade), who was presented with a statue and a diploma by the Commander of the 72nd Special Operations Brigade, Brigadier General Miroslav Talijan.In the second stage of the "Military Police Patrol Shooting" event, members of the Special Operations Battalion "Sokolovi" were declared the best team, and were awarded medals, diplomas and a statue by the 2nd Army Brigade Commander, Brigadier General Siniša Stašević.
Head of the Defence Minister’s Cabinet, Brigadier General Goran Momčilović, presented medals, diplomas and a statue to the members of the Special Purpose Military Police Detachment "Kobre" who won the third stage of the "Patrol Lane" event.
Head of the Military Police Directorate General Lazić presented medals and diplomas to the Gendarmerie team members who won the final stage of the 10 km obstacle course race.
As part of the celebration of the Military Police Day, orders for the promotion of officers and non-commissioned were read in the barracks in Kraljevo, and the Minister personally congratulated them.
