Commissioning Ceremony of September 2023 Reserve Officers

The Commissioning Ceremony of the September 2023 Reserve Officers Course candidates and their promotion to the rank of reserve component second lieutenant was held at the Military Academy today.



The ceremony was attended by State Secretary at the Ministry of Defence Mile Jelić, acting Assistant Minister for Human Resources Siniša Radović, Rector of the Defence University Brigadier General Prof. Boban Đorović, Head of the Human Resources Department (General Staff) Brigadier General Savo Iriškić, Head of the Training and Doctrine Department (General Staff) Brigadier General Muharem Fazlić and families and friends of the newly-commissioned second lieutenants.

At the beginning of the ceremony, the decree issued by the President of the Republic and Supreme Commander of the Serbian Armed Forces Aleksandar Vučić was read, commissioning this class of the Reserve Officers Course as second lieutenants. Following this, State Secretary at the Ministry of Defence Mile Jelić presented wrist watches to the students who achieved the best academic performance – Miloš Kršikapa (overall mark 9.62), Lazar Mladenović (9.59) and Miljana Stošić (9.53).



Addressing the newly-promoted reserve officers, Commandant of the Military Academy and associate professor, Colonel Srđan Blagojević, said that today’s commissioning ceremony was a confirmation of both the successful work of the Defence University, Military Academy and the Military Medical Academy’s Medical Faculty, and personal success, resolution and virtues of each reserve component leader.



- The training of young, educated people as reserve officers in our armed forces has been carried out for more than a century and a half. This important task has always been performed by special units and military schools, which have been rightly ranked among our best military units and institutions – said the Commandant of the Military Academy.

He also pointed out the important role of the candidates’ families providing them with support on that path, and congratulated the candidates on their entry-level officer rank.



- Congratulations on being promoted to the entry-level officer rank, I hope you will wear your rank insignia in a dignified manner, with your heads held high and with pride, as befits those who continue and preserve the military traditions of our proud Serbia. There is no serious modern military in the world that does not have the need for people like you. Whether you opt for active service in the Serbian Armed Forces or decide to be part of the reserve component, be sure to work hard on the development of your fatherland Serbia, love it, protect it as a sanctity that lights up our lives – said Colonel Blagojević.



On behalf of his class, Second Lieutenant Miloš Kršikapa gave a speech, saying that the path to officers’ epaulettes had been filled with challenges and obstacles, which they had successfully overcome.

- We have all voluntarily put ourselves at the service of our homeland and at least for a moment identified ourselves with the greats of the Serbian history – with Lazar, Miloš, Stepa, Putnik, with our glorious ancestors who fought on Cer, Kolubara, Kaymakchalan. I would like to take this opportunity to express my deep gratitude to our instructors, professors, leaders at the Military Academy and in the units, where we did our internship, for selflessly passing on their knowledge and skills to us – said Lieutenant Kršikapa, adding that their families deserved the most profound gratitude for supporting them in the pursuit of their dreams.