17.10.2025.
Minister Gašić attends ceremony marking anniversary of “1300 Corporals” Secondary Vocational Military School
Today, Minister of Defence Bratislav Gašić attended a ceremony marking the anniversary of “1300 Corporals” Secondary Vocational Military School, held at the Military Grammar School campus.

- On October 18, 1889, Official Military Gazette No. 38 published a decree issued by King Aleksandar I Obrenović, appointing infantry Major Jovan Kovačević, then commander of the 5th Guard Battalion, as the first head of the Infantry Non-Commissioned Officer School. The appointment of the first head of school, administrative staff, and teachers marked the beginning of the first formal educational institution for non-commissioned officers in the Kingdom of Serbia – emphasized Minister Gašić, adding that this school produced generations of highly skilled NCOs who played a key role in the Balkan Wars and the First World War.

He highlighted that large-scale NCO training only began after the ending of the two World Wars, specifically in 1950, and that Serbia even gained international recognition for training members of foreign armed forces. The Minister of Defence also said that, over time, specialized military schools offering various NCO programmes were established throughout the territory of the former country.
Addressing those present, Minister Gašić emphasized the important role of the NCO corps in the Serbian Armed Forces, stressing that the education and assignment of NCOs to appropriate duties is essential to the operational and functional capabilities of SAF units.

He noted that knowledge, capability, and a sense of responsibility are the values acquired by Serbian non-commissioned officers during their education at the Secondary Vocational Military School, and that these qualities are prerequisites for carrying out all assigned tasks. The Minister of Defence also emphasized that NCOs play a crucial role in the functioning of every unit of the Serbian Armed Forces, because they are a link between officers and the soldiers under their direct command.

The Head of the “1300 Corporals” School, Captain (Navy) Srđan Miljković, emphasized that the school trains and develops the character of young individuals who, upon graduation, will take up their entry-level NCO duties within the Serbian Armed Forces units, professionally qualified and highly motivated. He expressed pride in the school’s staff, and noted that today’s ceremony serves as an incentive for them to be even better and to contribute to strengthening the Serbian Armed Forces.


