23.12.2010.
A monograph on Serbian military education presented
In the Media Centre, "ODBRANA" a monograph "The Serbian military education” was presented, dedicated to 160 anniversary of the founding of the first military school in the Principality of Serbia - Gvardijska School. The book was presented by the Head of the Military Academy, Brigadier General Mladen Vuruna, historian Mile Bjelajac and Mirjana Zoric, professor of history at the Military Academy and author of the monograph.
The promotion was attended by State Secretaries of the Ministry of Defence, Head of the Serbian Army General Staff, faculty and staff of the Military Academy and a number of personalities from the religious, cultural and public life of the capital.- In my 300 pages long book, I presented a brief history of education for many generations of officers and non-commissioned officers of the Serbian army, from its origins in the Gvardija School in 1830, to Artillery school year in 1850, through war and inter-war period between the 1911-1941 up to the post-war education of military personnel in the socialist Yugoslavia, until the nineties and the modern era, "said Professor Mirjana Zoric, which, together with Major Slobodan Djukic, edited the book published by the Media Center's" ODBRANA ".
Representing the Military Academy as a highly respected military accredited university institution, the authors of several chapters cover a variety of interesting topics in a well-rounded manner. Dr Mile Bjelajac spoke of one of the most influential persons in military education in Serbia, who has influenced a generation of officers trained at the Military Academy of the Kingdom of Serbia, said Dr. Mile Bjelajac, recalling especially the General Staff officer Novak Brankovic and his impact on the reform of the Serbian military school system in the late 19th and 20th centuries.- General Staff officer Novak Brankovic ‘s influence among senior officers can be compared with that of Dragutin Dimitrijevic Apis among the lower ranking officers. He was so respected among his colleagues that are already mentioned as Novak’s school "as a unique form of educating officers, where the autonomy in decision-making, self-initiative and a high level of expertise were the most important qualities.
The publication of this monograph rounds up an almost one year celebration of military education said the head of the Military Academy, Brigadier General Mladen Vuruna pointing the audience’s attention to a number of valuable photographs, published in the book.- This is the first time that some of these photos have seen the light of day. With their publication, we wanted to acquaint the public of the very rich life of those who choose the military profession. This is a very interesting and comprehensive life which begins at the Military Academy, for some of the future officers even earlier, at the Military High School. Here, at the Military Academy the military profession gets its fullness, all the glory. This is proven by more than 250 photos published in the monograph, where you can see generations of teachers and professors with their students, cadets...
The Reform of the Serbian Armed Forces and its adjustment to modern conditions allowed the development of autonomous, modern, rational and highly efficient system of military education that will, in the decades ahead, make it possible to promote a new, interoperable, highly competent and professional military personnel, able to respond to the needs of and demands of the profession, and the challenges of time and climate in which we live. The monograph "The Serbian military education" proves that it has always been so. The officer corps of the Serbian army has always been a support and protector of the national idea, the leader in creating the modern state and a pioneer of an unstoppable process of Europeanization in this part of the Balkans, as the editors of the monograph stressed.