10.07.2026.

72nd class completes Command and Staff Course

A ceremony marking the graduation of the 72^nd class of the Command and Staff Course was held today at the Banjica 2 barracks in Belgrade.

The ceremony was attended by the State Secretary in the Ministry of Defence, Mile Jelić, and the Deputy Chief of the Serbian Armed Forces General Staff, Lieutenant Colonel Tiosav Janković.

On this occasion, State Secretary Jelić presented ceremonial daggers, awarded by decision of the President of the Republic and Supreme Commander of the Serbian Armed Forces, Aleksandar Vučić, to the three top graduates – Major Milan Mikić, Major Saša Trajković, and Major Miloš Golubović. Ceremonial daggers were presented to graduates from foreign armed forces by the Rector of the Defence University, Brigadier General Prof. Boban Đorović, Ph.D.

Brigadier General Đorović reminded those present of the words of the renowned Field Marshal Živojin Mišić, who stated that “an army is only as good as its officers”. He also noted that the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces place great value on the education and professional development of officers, particularly through the Field Marshal Radomir Putnik National Defence School programme.

- The rapid advancement of technology should not becloud our awareness of the importance of people and knowledge. A powerful military is made up of capable and well-trained people, people of knowledge, patriotism, and character. That is why the graduation of yet another class of the Command and Staff Course is important not only for the Serbian Armed Forces, but for the Republic of Serbia as a whole – said Brigadier General Đorović, taking the opportunity to also extend his greetings to the officers from foreign armed forces.

Addressing those in attendance, the Rector of the Defence University said that the graduates of the Command and Staff Course would face new, demanding, and highly responsible duties as they progress in their careers and expressed confidence that they would execute them successfully.

- I advise you to devote a great deal of your work to the people that will be under your command, so that they, too, become better officers, non-commissioned officers, and soldiers – Brigadier General Đorović said. He concluded by expressing his hope that the officers’ future careers would serve as exemplary models of officers’ professionalism.

The Head of the Field Marshal Radomir Putnik National Defence School, Colonel Zoran Jekić, said that completion of the Command and Staff Course is a significant milestone in an officer’s career, preparing graduates to become leaders capable of understanding the broader operational and strategic picture.

- Your new appointments carry a level of responsibility that leaves no room for superficiality or indecisiveness. Your subordinates must see in you a decisive and reliable commander whose orders are clear and who leads the unit by personal example. Your superiors must view you as highly capable colleagues who can carry out every assigned task accurately, efficiently, and on time – Colonel Jekić said. He urged the graduates of the Command and Staff Course to wear their new titles with pride and dignity and to assume their new duties in the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces with heads held high.

The top-ranked graduate, Major Milan Mikić, said that the Command and Staff Course is reserved for a select group of officers who have earned the trust and confidence of their superiors. He stressed that completing the course does not mark the end of a challenge, but the beginning of a greater responsibility – to become more decisive, more capable, and more efficient in carrying out the assigned tasks.

- From this point forward, more will be expected of us, greater maturity in judgment, initiative in action, and the ability to anticipate, shape, and, when necessary, prevent things. Over the past ten months, we have done far more than absorb the curriculum. We have exchanged knowledge and experience, learned skills from one another, and, by working together, built a spirit of teamwork that cannot be developed overnight – said Major Mikić. He thanked all his colleagues for the newly acquired experience and friendships, and expressed his gratitude to their families for their constant and unwavering support.

The Command and Staff Course is the second level of professional military education for officers. The 72^nd class comprised 52 officers from the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces, as well as six officers from the armed forces of other countries.

Today’s ceremony was attended by members of the Defence Minister’s and the Chief of the General Staff’s collegiums, representatives of the military diplomatic corps, as well as friends and families of the graduates.