06.05.2016.
The Guard Day marked
By ceremonial parade and display of a part of materiel in the "Dedinje" barracks, members of the Serbian Armed Forces Guard marked the Day of the unit – 6th May. The ceremony was attended by Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic, Defence Minister Zoran Djordjevic, and Serbian Armed Forces Chief of General Staff General Ljubisa Dikovic with members of the Collegium, representatives of religious communities, organizations and institutions of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces, local authorities, veterans' organizations and many other guests.Congratulating the members of the Guard on the Day of the unit and 186 years since the founding of the Prince’s Guard – Guardia in Pozarevac, in 1830, the Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic, among other things, said:
- The image of Serbia and the first impression of it acquired by every senior official from the world who comes to be our guest is tradition, strength, level of practice, dignity and military pride of the Serbian Armed Forces Guard. The Serbian Armed Forces Guard in the state protocol is the symbol of all our citizens, our military and the state, its face and honour. Through its past work and exceptional efforts, the members of the Serbian Armed Forces Guard have earned the admiration and trust of all citizens of our country. The unique military step, military discipline, level of practice of the drill, but also the extraordinary behaviour – military and human behaviour, outside the parade and the barracks – delight citizens around the world – wherever our guardswomen and guardsmen appear. This is an elite unit of the Serbian Armed Forces which we can rely on with pride, President Nikolic pointed out, adding that the Guard, since its establishment until today has protected the homeland, honour of the state and nation.
- In line with its purpose, the Guard has traditionally organised the highest state honours to domestic and foreign officials, changing only its size and shape, enriching its ranks with guardswomen, following modern setting, improving each set requirement. The Serbian Armed Forces Guard raises the standards of training and creativity worldwide. This makes it not only an elite unit of our army, but one of the elite units in general. In today's conditions and circumstances, this unit performs all the tasks successfully. It f
aces the challenges posed by all the three missions of the Serbian Armed Forces, relying on its honourable heritage and proudly guarding the fatherland, President Nikolic said.
Speaking about the complexity of the tasks performed by members of the most elite unit of the Serbian Armed Forces, about which we do not know everything, Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic said that the Guard, between its two holidays, in addition to the permanent tasks of securing 18 facilities of the defence system and logistic support to 118 related elements of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces, achieved remarkable results realizing even 238 military honours 27 performances of the Representative Orchestra of the Guard, two drills, six honorary artillery salvos, transportation of 162 foreign military delegations and 226 activities in representative facilities.
- I would particularly highlight the participation of the Guard at military parades in Moscow and Beijing on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the victory over fascism, where we proudly presented our anti-fascist heritage and demonstrated the unique military step of Serbian soldiers. With the guardsmen, as a symbol of overall Serbian Armed Forces, three weeks ago, by commemorative ceremonies, we marked the centenary of landing of the Serbian army and people to Corfu and Vido islands in a friendly Greece. Members of the Guard are actively involved in building peace in the region and the world. In the United Nations mandated multinational operations in Lebanon and the Central African Republic, there are currently seven members of the Guard, President Nikolic said, sending a message to the current members of the Serbian Armed Forces Guard to proudly preserve the decorations by which the country and the people have thanked them for everything they were doing representing them in the country and the world.
Speaking about the complexity of the tasks performed by members of the most elite unit of the Serbian Armed Forces, about which we do not know everything, Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic said that the Guard, between its two holidays, in addition to the permanent tasks of securing 18 facilities of the defence system and logistic support to 118 related elements of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces, achieved remarkable results realizing even 238 military honours 27 performances of the Representative Orchestra of the Guard, two drills, six honorary artillery salvos, transportation of 162 foreign military delegations and 226 activities in representative facilities.- I would particularly highlight the participation of the Guard at military parades in Moscow and Beijing on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the victory over fascism, where we proudly presented our anti-fascist heritage and demonstrated the unique military step of Serbian soldiers. With the guardsmen, as a symbol of overall Serbian Armed Forces, three weeks ago, by commemorative ceremonies, we marked the centenary of landing of the Serbian army and people to Corfu and Vido islands in a friendly Greece. Members of the Guard are actively involved in building peace in the region and the world. In the United Nations mandated multinational operations in Lebanon and the Central African Republic, there are currently seven members of the Guard, President Nikolic said, sending a message to the current members of the Serbian Armed Forces Guard to proudly preserve the decorations by which the country and the people have thanked them for everything they were doing representing them in the country and the world.
Major General Milomir Todorovic, the commander of this unit, spoke about the history of the Serbian Armed Forces Guard and its tasks today, pointing out that in nearly two centuries of important events and jubilees in which the Guard had its significant role, clearly and unequivocally states that it provides an extremely major contribution to image of the Serbian Armed Forces to remain the most trusted institution.
- The Guard has witnessed and participated in the creation of the honourable history of the Serbian army, and its name our moral support and encouragement for the high and demanding, but achievable goals. This is the only way that in today's times, full of challenges and surprises, the oldest unit of the Serbian Armed Forces be up to the most modern tasks. It was said long ago that our Military Academy produces officers that army of any country can be proud of. the Guard chooses for its ranks only the best among them, officers who have clear and high goals and requirements. Having a strong moral and material support before us, we are confident that our society today is aware that Guard, as a representative of the Armed Forces and the state is an important element for the preservation of Serbia's territorial integrity and its sovereignty and of a stable and prosperous development, said the commander of the Guard, Major General Milomir Todorovic.In the second part of the ceremony, the crowd saw the Representative Orchestra of the Guard, which represents this unit and the Serbian Armed Forces in the numerous music appearances throughout Europe. Successor of the Serbian Prince Band from the time of Guardia, today's Representative Orchestra proudly continues the tradition of paying military honours and solo performances at military music festivals.
At the end of the ceremony, orders on the awarded and commended members of the Guard were communicated, then the units carried out a ceremonial parade in which, lined up in sub-echelons, they showed part of the level of training and representative motor vehicles at their disposal.
