08.11.2017.
Proud of Their Armed Forces
Minister of Defence Aleksandar Vulin and Chief of General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces General Ljubiša Diković received today Sergeant First Class Ivan Ristić who on 5th November had saved a woman who was attacked with a knife in Pančevo, and his colleagues First Sergeant Goran Vasić and Corporal Jovan Đokić who had helped him in restraining the attacker.
The members of the 11th Infantry Battalion of the 1st Army Brigade, Sergeant First Class Ristić, First Sergeant Vasić and Corporal Đokić informed the Minister of Defence and the Chief of General Staff about the details of the unfortunate incident, pointing out that they would act in the same way again in a similar situation and that they were sure that all the members of the Serbian Armed Forces would act in the same manner.
Upon the order of the Supreme Commander of the Serbian Armed Forces Aleksandar Vučić, Minister of Defence Aleksandar Vulin awarded the three members of the 11th Infantry Battalion for their selfless and brave feat.
- On behalf of the Supreme Commander of the Serbian Armed Forces Aleksandar Vučić, on behalf of the Ministry of Defence and me personally, I would like to congratulate these dear and brave men and to thank them on behalf of entire Serbia. They are the evidence of why the armed forces are loved in Serbia. They are an example of what it means to be a member of the armed forces. They are the reason why we respect the uniform and why every child seeing a soldier on the street knows that he is the embodiment of justice, and law and freedom, and the child feels protected and cherished because a Serbian soldier is there – the Minister of Defence said.
He underlined that Ristić, Vasić and Đokić had done not only something for what they had been trained but something that we, as human beings, had been created for.
- I wish to thank them on behalf of the entire state. I have put in placed measures for them to be awarded, but it is far more important that their armed forces and their people will be proud of them. They demonstrated what we should be like and how each of us should act. Our society can learn a lot from them and use such examples to recognise why it invests in its armed forces. Investment in these people and armed forces is the investment in Serbia, investment in the best there is in Serbia – Minister Vulin concluded.
Chief of General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces General Ljubiša Diković congratulated the members of the 11th Infantry Battalion on their courage saying that their actions were yet another confirmation of the attachment of our soldiers and men in uniform to the protection of citizens, protection of rights and righteousness which was in any case encouraging.
- If only such incidents never happened, but sadly it is not the case. I am proud of the members of the armed forces for being such soldiers and commanding officers, because we teach and train them to be like that – safety of the citizens of Serbia comes first. This incident should serve as an example that it is always necessary to be there for others in distress, not to think solely of ourselves and to always be there when that is required – General Diković stated.
Sergeant First Class Ivan Ristić said that “yesterday, and today, and tomorrow I would to the same”.
- First of all I wish things like that never happened. I have a wife and two daughters, and simply when a life of an innocent civilian is in question, there is no time to think. I did not think about fear, or anything else, because the only thing on my mind was how to move that woman away from the attacker. Only later, after speaking to my wife, did I became aware that I had perhaps risked my life. However, in such moments one does not think about that, but about how to help the one whose life is in danger - Sergeant First Class Ristić explained.
The woman, attacked in Pančevo, who was saved by the members of the Serbian Armed Forces is currently in the Clinical Centre in Belgrade and her condition is stable.
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