18.12.2020.

Taking the oath of enlistment in the barracks in Valjevo, Sombor and Leskovac

Today, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Nebojša Stefanović, PhD, attended the ceremony of taking the oath of enlistment by the “December 2020“ generation of military volunteers and participants in the Air Force and Air Defence NCO Course in the “Field Marshal Živojin Mišić“ barracks in Valjevo.

Stefanović said that those young people who had taken the oath of allegiance to our homeland today and tied their future to our defence system, were one more proof of the deserved trust and reputation that the armed forces enjoyed among the citizens of Serbia. Congratulating them on taking the oath of enlistment, the Minister emphasized that today they gave their word that they would be with their people wherever and whenever they needed to.

- Your parents, friends, relatives, but also other members of the Ministry of Defence, the Serbian Armed Forces and I, are proud of you. The person who chooses to become a soldier, is held in special respect, because to be a soldier means to serve the common good, to take an oath to the homeland and to be ready to put in effort and make sacrifices for the stability of Serbia - the Minister of Defence pointed out.

Today, almost 400 military volunteers of the "December 2020" generation and participants in the Air Force and Air Defence NCO Course took the oath of enlistment in the barracks in Valjevo, Sombor and Leskovac.

- Dear soldiers, let me call you that, regardless of your rank, title and future vocation, almost three hundred of you have already shown courage today in Serbia, by being determined to do your military service voluntarily. Your commanding officers and non-commissioned officers tried to create conditions for your training, so that they can transfer all their knowledge and military experience to you in an efficient and safe way - Minister Stefanović emphasized, adding that he was convinced that they would make many lasting friendships in the military and gain valuable experience that they would be able to use in their future lives.

Minister Stefanović especially emphasized his hope that some of those who took the oath in the barracks in Valjevo today would also choose the military as their life's calling.

- Today, young people are with us here in Valjevo, who will hopefully join us in the professional ranks soon. You have undergone a very strict selection process, and you are all training to join our renowned 204th and 98th Air Brigades, as well as the 250th Missile and 126thASEWG Brigades. Dear participants in the NCO Course, we are proud of your determination to fulfil yourselves professionally as guardians of the Serbian skies and to be a part of the Serbian Armed Forces - Minister Stefanović pointed out.

According to him, the equipping and modernization of the armed forces continues, and the state is working diligently every day to improve soldiers’ financial status and their working conditions.

- Therefore, in addition to the regular pay increase next year, we want to increase salaries by an additional 10 percent, which will be a significant financial incentive for soldiers, and we will continue to do the same in the coming years - says the Minister of Defence, adding that the military means tradition and discipline, and much more than that, because by investing in the people who are the essence of our armed forces, who are their most important resource, we are investing in Serbia’s strength.

Being a member of the Serbian Armed Forces, Minister Stefanović emphasizes, is an opportunity for everyone to be hailed as a hero by our citizens, to be with them through thick and thin, but also an opportunity for constant improvement and advancement.

- Our service members are the guardians of our country’s stability, they are the ones who expertly dissuade everyone from the very thought of endangering Serbia. You are the pride of Serbia. All around the world where members of the Serbian Armed Forces participate in multinational operations, they receive highest marks. The leaders of today's most powerful countries have rated their participation in military parades with the highest marks. No other profession offers such opportunities - concluded Minister Stefanović.

He expressed his belief that there was future for young people in our armed forces, that there were people to learn from and ways to build brilliant careers and be the best in their jobs, but also to be the strongest pillar of our country’s future.

- We are especially proud of the young people who are here today, because they have decided to be our service members and to do their military service voluntarily. They dared to show that they can and know how to do it - concluded Minister Stefanović and added that they should never forget that Serbia was our only homeland.
Ivan Andrić from Valjevo decided to enlist voluntarily because of the family tradition.

- For me, it is an honour to serve in the Serbian Armed Forces and I would recommend it to young people for several reasons - you can learn a lot there, how to cope with life and you will learn lessons that you cannot learn as a civilian. It is important that we stick together, that we help each other - said Ivan Andrić.

One of the military volunteers is Bojana Marković, a writer from Arilje.

- Family tradition led me to apply. I grew up with those ideals and my goal was to continue the family tradition. I love my country very much, I am a patriot, and I think that it is the greatest honour to defend Serbia and give everything for the country you were born in. Serving in the military is a good experience and a person learns how to be a team player. The army is a big family and it teaches us to be good, honourable and honest people – Bojana Marković pointed out.

A participant in the Air Force and Air Defence NCO Course, Stefan Cicmilović from Prokuplje, enlisted out of love for the military, the homeland and our history.

- I have always been attracted to the Air Force and Air Defence. I hope that I will do great, and I will try to be as good as possible - said Stefan Cicmilović.

The ceremony in Valjevo was attended by the Training Command’s Chief of Staff, Colonel Nikola Dejanović, representatives of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces, Ministry of the Interior, the City of Valjevo and the Serbian Orthodox Church.

Deputy Chief of the Serbian Armed Forces’ General Staff, Major General Petar Cvetković, congratulated the soldiers on taking the oath of enlistment in the "Vojvoda Petar Bojović" barracks in Leskovac, and Deputy Commander of the Training Command, Brigadier General Jelesije Radivojević, congratulated the soldiers in the "Airport" barracks in Leskovac.