Military Academy marks 172nd anniversary

A ceremony to mark the Military Academy Day – March 18, was held tonight in that higher education institution’s assembly hall, in the “General Jovan Mišković“ barracks in Banjica. The programme, prepared by the cadets of the Military Academy and the MMA Medical Faculty and students of the Military Grammar School and “1300 Corporals“ Secondary Vocational Military School, showed a historical and artistic retrospective of the fight for freedom and the suffering of the Serbian people through epochs marked by outstanding examples of heroism of our army and its members.



The celebration of the 172nd anniversary of the Military Academy was attended by the State Secretary at the Ministry of Defence Aleksandar Živković, State Secretary at the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development Prof. Dr. Ivica Radović, Assistant Minister for Defence Policy Predrag Bandić, Assistant Minister for Human Resources Katarina Tomašević, Assistant Minister for Material Resources Nenad Miloradović, PhD, Rector of the Defence University Lieutenant General Goran Radovanović, Assoc. Prof, and Brigadier General Milan Popović, Head of the Development and Equipment Department, Serbian Armed Forces General Staff. Among the guests were representatives of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces organizational units and civilian higher education institutions, members of the academic community, professors and teachers of the Military Academy, MMA Medical Faculty, Military Grammar School, Secondary Vocational Military School, cadets and students.
 
The event began with the national anthem of the Republic of Serbia performed by the Military Academy choir and a minute’s silence in memory of the victims of the March 2004 pogrom in Kosovo and Metohija.



The Rector of the Defence University and the Commandant of the Military Academy presented awards to representatives of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces, institutions and members of the academic community who provided support to the Military Academy last year, and members of the Military Academy who have achieved the most notable results since the last anniversary.
 
The Rector of the Defence University, Lieutenant General Goran Radovanović, presented an award to the best Military Academy department - the Department of Logistics, which was represented by the Head of Department, Colonel Marjan Milenkov. Prof. Dr. Gordana Majstorović received the best teacher award, and the award for the best associate went to Major Vladimir Milovanović from the Department of Logistics. General Radovanović also presented awards to the best Military Academy skills teacher, Lieutenant Colonel Milan Končar from the Department of Army Weapons and Equipment, and to the most successful Military Academy researcher, Lieutenant Colonel Dragan Pamučar, Assoc. Prof. The award for the best Military Grammar School teacher went to civilian employee Željana Andrijević Andrić, Serbian language and literature teacher, and the physics teacher Tatjana Kurdumanović received the award for the best teacher at the "1300 Corporal" Secondary Vocational Military School.



The Commandant of the Military Academy presented the Military Academy plaques to the Serbian Armed Forces General Staff, which was received by Brigadier General Milan Popović, Head of the Development and Equipment Department, Serbian Armed Forces General Staff, and to the Office of the Vice Rector for Quality and Development, Defence University, which was received by Boban Đorović, PhD.

As a sign of gratitude for excellent cooperation, Colonel Blagojević presented certificates of appreciation to the Public Relations Department, Ministry of Defence, represented by the Head of Department, Colonel Mihailo Zogović, PhD, and the Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Belgrade - Vice Dean Prof. Dr. Nenad Fric. The Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, University of Kragujevac, Prof. Dr. Dobrica Milovanović received the certificate of appreciation awarded to that institution by the Military Academy, and the same award was given to the Faculty of Organizational Sciences, University of Belgrade.

The Rector of the Defence University, Lieutenant General Goran Radovanović, emphasized the historical continuity of the Military Academy and its contribution to the defence of our country.

– Historical memories of the Balkan Wars, the First World War, the Second World War, and, of course, the defence against the 1999 NATO aggression  speak best about the quality of officers that the Military Academy produces and that Serbia has. Recently, we’ve had the honour and pleasure of attending a large number of activities organized by the Commandant of the Military Academy and his associates, where we could see where the Military Academy stands today and how well-trained the Military Academy cadets are - said General Radovanovic.



The Commandant of the Military Academy, Colonel Srđan Blagojević, said that the Military Academy is similar to other faculties in many ways, but that it has important characteristics that distinguish it from them.

- It is our internal, military life, indispensable military education and military discipline, physical and moral readiness, which is necessary for the development of excellent young officers, and military comradeships and cohesion among cadets and students. These specific, military features of the Military Academy rise from its foundations, which were laid in the middle of the 19th century, and are equally present today. Because of them, we do not have alumni, but Serbian field marshals and generations of brave and dedicated officers who repay their military and civic debts to the armed forces and the homeland through their deeds – said Colonel Blagojević.



Cadets and students prepared a rich and varied programme performed by the Military Academy and the Military Grammar School choirs, vocal and instrumental soloists and reciters. Their excellent performance of musical and literary works on patriotic and military themes convinced the guests that, in addition to educational and scientific potentials, military schools encourage and develop their students’ artistic talents.

The Military Academy continues the tradition of the Artillery School, which was established at the proposal of the Serbian statesman Ilija Garašanin, in order to ​​improve the military readiness of the Principality of Serbia. The State Council adopted his proposal, and Prince Aleksandar Karađorđević approved it on March 18, 1850, which is why that date is celebrated as the Military Academy Day.