Promotion ceremony for reserve officers of September 2022 intake

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Miloš Vučević attended the ceremony held at the Military Academy today to celebrate the completion of the Reserve Officers’ Course attended by the September 2022 intake. The ceremony was also attended by Deputy Chief of the Serbian Armed Forces General Staff, Lieutenant General Petar Cvetković and the Vice Rector of the Defence University, Colonel Boban Đorović, PhD. 



At the beginning of the ceremony, the decree passed by the President of the Republic and Supreme Commander of the Serbian Armed Forces, Aleksandar Vučić, was read, promoting 84 reserve officer trainees to the rank of reserve second lieutenant.
 
According to Minister Vučević, this is yet another generation of reserve officers who have inherited the knowledge of famous military leaders and professors of the Military Academy and who are capable and brave enough to do whatever Serbia asks of them.

- These are the youngest reserve officers of our armed forces who will have the honour of being Serbian officers, a title that is difficult to acquire and that must never be lost. I sincerely believe that they will confirm their knowledge and readiness and meet our expectations in the years to come. Precisely because of their dedication to their profession, true patriotism and readiness to face the challenges of the modern age, we can proudly say that they have deservedly earned the rank of reserve second lieutenant, said the Minister of Defence. 



Addressing the newly commissioned reserve officers, Minister Vučević told them to be noble, proud, modest, and ready for the challenges of officers’ occupation, because “the homeland expects that from you”.

- Second lieutenants, you bring new energy to the Serbian Armed Forces. Continuous learning and improvement should be one of your professional tasks, an obligation that you, as modern Serbian officers and young people, take on yourselves. Your basic knowledge and skills will help you fulfil both your defence-related tasks and those required by your workplace. Your knowledge and experience make you an indispensable, crucial factor in manning SAF units. We are proud of your achievements and your commitment and we believe that you will leave an indelible mark both on the Serbian Armed Forces and on our society, said Minister Vučević, adding that, as of today, our military is richer by a young generation - noble, educated, motivated and ready for hard efforts and great challenges facing reserve officers, both in the defence of the country and in other military and personal missions.
 
According to him, this ceremony is an expression of respect that the state of Serbia and its military have for the determination of the reserve officer trainees to complete their military service in a way that allows them to become military officers in the reserve and thus be part of the defence system of our homeland for a longer period of time. 



- This military ceremony is a way to acknowledge these young people, university graduates who demonstrate their patriotism and who have improved their ability to actively contribute to the common good of Serbia and all its citizens over the past six months. Reserve officer training of young university graduates plays an important part in military education, Minister Vučević said.
 
The Minister of Defence congratulated the families of the newly commissioned reserve officers, telling them that they should be proud of them. He also addressed the reserve officers, citing the famous Serbian general, Mihailo Rašić: "When you stand in front of your soldiers, be their brothers and fathers, take care of them as if they were your children, respect them as if they were your parents and never give them a single order that you yourself cannot carry out."
 
- Congratulations on your first officer ranks, I hope they will help you make your homeland and all of us proud. Serbia believes in you, the Serbian Armed Forces believe in you. And now - full steam ahead! Long live the Serbian Armed Forces! Long live Serbia, said the Minister of Defence.

Minister Vučević presented engraved wrist watches to the best reserve second lieutenants of the September 2022 intake - Ana Sekulić (GPA 9.64), Vukan Pejić (GPA 9.55) and Milovan Popović (GPA 9.55). 



Addressing the audience on behalf of her class, Reserve Second Lieutenant Sekulić said that six months ago they had taken their first steps towards officer epaulettes and that the road had been full of challenges and obstacles. For that reason, she said, proud reserve officers of the Serbian Armed Forces are standing in front of everyone today, knowing that to wear the uniform of the Serbian Armed Forces is a great honour.

- We have a responsibility towards our homeland and people. We have an obligation to protect what our ancestors left us, but we must not disappoint our descendants either, because freedom is a value that transcends the lifetime of one person and one generation, said Lieutenant Sekulić.

Today's ceremony was attended by members of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces, families, relatives and friends of the newly commissioned reserve officers.