Minister Stefanović: There is no nobler duty than the protection of one’s country

Today, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Nebojša Stefanović PhD attended the final exercise of the Military Academy students and attenders of Reserve Officers’ Course in the area of military compound “Pasuljanske livade”. Stefanović stated that those young people were the pride of our Armed Forces and the pride of our country.



- What I saw today confirms that they will be excellent commanding officers and that they will truly be capable, competent and professional men in our armed forces. I am glad to find that they are interested in new assets and that they are interested in the progress made by their country and the investments it makes in the armed forces, and modern arms and people, their salaries and living conditions - stated Minister Stanković, assessing that today, on the training area, the final year students have shown that they are ready as early as the following day to assume their duties.

On that occasion, the minister of defence pointed out that there was no nobler duty than the protection of one’s own country.

- That is why I wish to congratulate these young people who have opted for this profession, which certainly is more than just a profession because it is characterised by immense love for Serbia. This is the reason why it is so important that our commanding officers, officers, non-commissioned officers, soldiers and all those who make part of the Ministry of Defence and Serbian Armed Forces, feel pride and feel that they are special because they are part of this great team tasked to protect their country - Minister Stanković stated thanking all professors and commanding officers who had participated in the training of the students and attenders of the Course.



Today’s final exercise is the crown of combined camping aimed at testing the degree of competence of students of Infantry and Armoured units branches and the attenders of Reserve Officers’ Course on Infantry branch in their skills of commanding rifle and tank platoon, operation and fire management in defence and assault, and at testing the degree of competence of the students of Technical and Logistic Services.

The fourth year student of the Military Academy, Vukašin Šajić, on Infantry Department, points out that his colleagues and he are very satisfied with the readiness that they demonstrated at the final exercise.

- Today, we have executed the final live firing tactical exercise, the topic of which was “Reinforced rifle platoon in defence”. Having in mind that the platoon was reinforced, you could see a mortar section which provided support to the rifle platoon, while the platoon confronted the enemy attack, withdrawing to reserve positions only to execute the counterattack. Over the last month and a half, we had an opportunity to practically go through everything that we have learned in theory with our professors at the Military Academy in our seminar rooms, but this time we did it in the field - student Šajić stresses.



According to the student of 142nd Military Academy class, Anica Milosavljević, attender of the Missile systems module, the final exercise is important because of assuming the first duty in the units of the Serbian Armed Forces and promotion into the first officer rank.

- This exercise is also significant because it links theory to practice, and the Military Academy supports dual education. Today, I was a member of the logistics which supported the Infantry and the tankmen, and there we showed the interconnectedness between the services and branches of the Serbian Armed Forces - student Milosavljević emphasised.