01.02.2011.
LTG Miloje Miletic's interview to Odbrana magazine
NEVER AGAINST MY OWN BELIEFS
In every professional army being a solider is above any particular and personal interest. This is the essence of professionalism, and when it comes to the essence – there should be no compromise! It seems that we often have a superficial and incorrect understanding of the concept of democratic civilian control of the military. This does not mean that the Serbian Armed Forces have allowed the daily politics to creep into and influence its structure. On the contrary, the Serbian Armed Forces are depoliticized.
On the one hand we have the established autonomy of the military profession in relation to political power in society, and on the other an army is looked at as an institution which is not involved in politics.
Lieutenant General Miloje Miletic is well known to members of the defense system and the general public as a top professional, a true soldier, a man of the profession and invaluable experience, which, has for two years now been at the post of the Chief of Staff. During this time, the reform of the Serbian Armed Forces has to a great extent been completed, modeled on different principles of organized training, and with such novelties as the equipping of units with modern combat technological advances ...
The changes are many and multifaceted, and it seems, whether we are willing to recognize it or not, that we air our judgments on almost daily basis. We do this sometimes tactfully, and many times quite tactlessly, but always according to our own convictions. Assessing the year that has just passed and the one that has just started, we talked with LTG Miletic about his beliefs, opinions and decisions. We asked him how often in his daily work he is not honest with his true self and how often with the man in uniform.
According to the statistics, young people in Serbia want to be professional soldiers, or to make career in the defense system- the number of applicants to military schools and places of professional soldiers in the units bespeak of this, as well as the number of conscripts serving their duty .But what are these statistics hiding? Are the Serbian Armed Forces really such an attractive employer or are just people trying to find a secure post during the times of crisis? Or is there something more?
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The SAF are now one of the largest employers in Serbia. In times of economic crisis which has befallen us in recent years, we have employed several thousand young men and women, who are now professional soldiers. What is more, in 2011 we will do the same, and this trend will continue in the future as well. Unfortunately, the problems of employment in our country have lasted much longer than the global crisis. It has certainly led to many citizens of Serbia thinking about seeking employment in the Serbian Armed Forces, but that was not a crucial reason. Young people in the Army see this an opportunity to get a responsible job, to have a secure income, social and health care for themselves and family, as well as excellent training for duty, continuous improvement and promotion according to their abilities and ambitions. They have recognized this opportunity. In the previous period we have hear that the professionalization of our military would result in a modern defense system of the country. Today, the Army of Serbia is a fully professional one...
- It is, above all, an effective army. During the history various forms of military organization have emerged, which were always replaced using the criterion of efficiency. Professional soldiers are better trained and more willing to perform tasks because it is their professional orientation, their calling. We make an investment in them, their training is continuous and we must follow the modern trends. They remain in the army for years so the investment repays multifold. Obligatory military service had only one advantage - the number of conscripts. In terms of contemporary security challenges and the use of modern weapons, the quality I above quantity. A time of professional armies has come, as evidenced by the neighboring countries and the modern armies of the world.
Public opinion polls show that most Serbian citizens believe the Army. Why is this so?
- We, the soldiers judge our actions by the impression they might leave on the public, but we are trying to be professional, to act in accordance with the Constitution and the laws of our country, to perform missions and tasks. A recent poll has showed that the citizens of Serbia acknowledge it and appreciate it. In recent years we have managed to prevent events that have marred the reputation of the SAF and the military profession, and to show and restore our true quality and value.
Participation in peacekeeping missions is an opportunity to gain experience in an international environment, improving the professional and personal level. Are these the only reasons why our commanders have chosen to be the so called "blue berets or helmets"?
- There are several reasons why members of the Serbian Armed Forces have chosen to participate in multinational operations. I agree that this is an opportunity to further enable them to work in an international environment and gain experience from the field, which also uses them and the Army. Also, by participating in multinational operations, we are helping those in need. Our doctors in the missions in Congo and Chad, for example, have helped to save many lives. So, besides professional there are human motives as well. Participation in international operations is also an opportunity to earn money. It is, of course, a significant motif that should not be looked aside. There is a great interest of our members to go to the missions, and we can expect this interest to rise when some of the current participants return with enough profit to be able to build themselves a house or buy a prestigious car. Similar experiences were recorded in the armies from other countries.
You mentioned on several occasions that the military base "Jug " would become a regional center for training soldiers who go to the peacekeeping mission.
- It is what we plan to do with the military base. We planned to turn "Jug" into a leading training ground for units declared for participation in multinational operations. At first, we will use it for training our units, and later, in collaboration with partners from the world, we will establish a regional center. We hope to expand its training capacity and facilities but to try to avoid any similarities with similar centers in the region. First of all, I am thinking of the training center in Bosnia and Herzegovina Butmir and the opportunities provided by “Krivolak” training grounds in the Republic of Macedonia. For this purpose we have valuable experience and assistance of our partners, foremost from the Ohio National Guard. It will be a joint project with our partners investing significant financial funds.
So, in the end, will 28,000 members of the Army,which is the projected number of professional soldiers, get a uniform that is not a relabeled JNA uniform? Is it maybe because of the current uniform, its appearance and quality why many officers and NCOs seem to frown at the idea of coming to and going from work in a uniform?
- I believe in the saying that clothes do not make the man. When you have a gap between the needs and possibilities, and we have had this for a long period, then you must make compromises and set the priorities. If you can not fix everything, choose that which is most important to you. Our current priority is to provide a sufficient number of field uniforms, camouflage uniforms M-10, for all professional members of the Army. It is a model which when it comes to quality, safety features and digital patterns is of the same quality as the uniforms used by most modern armies of the world.
In order to change the official and ceremonial uniforms considerable funds are required, which currently we do not have. On the other hand, there is a demand of the existing uniform. There are practical reasons for "this frowning upon the aforementioned announcement" the obligation to officers coming to work in uniform, as they travel from distant places, use public transport, carrying out private work after hours. People in such situations, feel more comfortable in civilian clothes.
Do women really hold an appropriate place and role in the Army or is it only reserved for those who “wear trousers”?
- This calling was long reserved for men. Raising the awareness of gender equality in the military profession has changed this notion significantly. We provided an opportunity for women in Serbia to become members of the Army, which proved to be a good decision. We received excellent professional soldiers, military academy cadets, NCOs, officers, pilots ... There are 17 female officers, 33 female noncommissioned officers, over 820 female professional soldiers and 1,100 female civilians working in the army. It is a little less than eight percent of the total number of professional Army. It should be noted that women are equal with their counterparts in the training grounds, shooting ranges and in the Ground Safety Zone.
Also, they are equal when it comes to promotion. The system does not care about the gender, but progress is made in accordance with their respective competencies. It should be borne in mind that the ladies have as of recently been in larger numbers military, and non-commissioned officers' positions. It is just a matter of time before we have a first lady with the generals' epaulets. The percentage of women in the Serbian Armed Forces was somewhat lower than in most modern armies of the world, in which he was up to 20 percent, but I expect that in a year or two we will reach that level. The number of women in the air force and the Navy is higher than in the Army. Since we have no navy, it is reasonable to expect that the number of women in the Serbian Armed Forces should be 12 to 15%.
What needs to change when it comes to the physical training and psychophysical readiness of military professionals?
- We need a motivated, trained and psychologically ready professional soldier, able to overcome any potential obstacles to efficiently perform a task. It is clear that professional members of the Serbian Armed Forces must be psychologically prepared above average. This means that we must apply the criteria of severe psychological selection and improve the psychological preparation of personnel, and to consistently work on increasing physical abilities.
It is evident that the measures we have taken on increasing physical abilities have achieve the desired effect. The results of physical exams conducted in 2010 resulted in an increase in the level of physical readiness by 20 percent. We're still not satisfied with the results because our goal is for all professionals, regardless of age, rank and duty to be able to perform and achieve the prescribed standards of physical ability.
In late 2010, we started making the new Physical Training Guide in the Serbian Armed Forces, whose adoption is expected in the first quarter of this year. It provides that in addition to age groups of our members, we have three groups according to the criteria of formation posts in organizational structure they are assigned to - for persons who perform duties in the battalion and the battalion-level units, for those working in the brigade and the units at that level, and the senior officers assigned to commands at the operational level, the General Staff and the Ministry of Defence. In addition, the assessment of physical abilities of professional members will be part of the evaluation of a unit’s operational capabilities and results and the official assessment of each individual.
How will the training , evaluation and certification of officers, NCOs and professional soldiers be carried out in the future?
- Training of officers, NCOs and professional soldiers will take place during individual and collective training, but also for training commands. Training of the professional Army career, and specialized functional advanced courses, both at home and abroad. It should be borne in mind that the training process that lasts until the end of a career.
For the members of the army, the most important exercises are those where staff work is integrated with the units at training grounds, and decisions are checked in the field. Certification and evaluation of training will have two purposes. Firstly, the training will be certified after completion of various forms of individual training and development. Secondly, there will be an evaluation of individual tasks performed by officers, NCOs and professional soldiers during the realization of collective tasks of the units within the assigned mission. This means that they will be constantly evaluated, on daily basis, for all joint and individual activities. Evaluation of individual training and individual tasks in the collective training should be an integral part of the evaluation of professional military personnel. Our basic idea is to make more realistic estimates and to significantly influence the career military professionals.
You recently stated that an additional motivation to perform their tasks with dedication and commitment in 201 will be the confidence of the citizens of Serbia in the army. Do you feel that the only additional motivation for doing the job correctly are only higher wages, better working conditions, use of modern fighting techniques and equipment?
- I said that this was one obligation more, not a motivating factor. The standard of the Army is very important. One of our long-term goals is to increase the standard of living of our army members. However, it is unrealistic to expect significantly higher earnings before economic recovery sets in. We must accept the reality. We are aware of the fact that in the last two years the standard of living of military personnel has decreased. But we share the fate of the Serbian citizens and I am confident that members of the Army of Serbia, as always, perform their duties responsibly. We have confirmed many a time throughout history our attitude that the tasks and work are more a matter of honor and professional ethics, rather than financial calculations.
Many officers are unhappy with their financial status, the existing model of solving housing problems, in a nutshell, with the poor living standard, something that should never be a burden of a professional soldier or their preoccupation
- These are problems that the management of the Ministry of Defence and senior officers of the General Staff are trying to work on daily. I believe that the people in the ministry are much more concerned with problems of financial status of the defense system as they are the ones trying to fix it. We are constantly trying to find solutions that would lead to an improved financial position of our members. We expect the economic growth if it should happen this year to raise the standard of living. I do not expect the current economic situation to affect the performance of our men in completing their tasks. That has never happened. Successes achieved by our system proves what kind of attitude we build towards our duties.
The latest and last generation of conscripts has sworn allegiance and loyalty to their homeland. Do You remember your oath? What has changed since then in the social, cultural pattern of values and why have the young people in Serbia greeted the recent abolition of compulsory military service with a sigh of relief?
- Taking an oath of allegiance is an unforgettable event for every man, especially for those of us who chose to spend life in uniform. I took the oath in the fall of the 1972 in Belgrade, as a first year cadet at the Military Academy. Since then, the words of his military oath have often been changed, as well as the conditions and environment, the uniform, states ... A lot has changed in so far as our society has changed and evolved.
At the oath taking ceremony of December class of conscripts, I spoke to many soldiers. Everyone knew that they were last generation with an obligation to serve the army. Yet they chose to do their service in the uniform of their own will. In our country, young men have always been proud of the fact that they did military service. The army was for them an environment in which they were often for the first time away from their parental home, where they were forced to take responsibilities, and become more independent, while at the same time meeting people from different parts of the country, making life-long friendships ... With such experiences, they left the Army as more mature, more able to accept the challenges that they were to face in life. I do not share the opinion that all young people have welcomed the abolition of military service obligation with a sigh of relief. I'm sure we will still attend various military oath ceremonies in Serbia.
As a member of artillery, you finished the highest military school, have performed varied duties ranging from command post to the top level ones. How do your professional requirements of your daily work are a motto in decision-making process with regard to different interests – especially when it comes to political interests as any army is not immune to political occurrences as it is part of the society, and how does it affect your most intimate code of values, ethical beliefs? How often, in such circumstances, are you not true to yourself, and how often to the man in uniform?
In every professional army, being a solider is above any particular and personal interest. This is the essence of professionalism, and when it comes to the essence – there should be no compromise! It seems that we often have a superficial and incorrect understanding of the concept of democratic civilian control of the military. This does not mean that the Serbian Armed Forces have allowed the daily politics to creep into and influence its structure. On the contrary, the Serbian Armed Forces are depoliticized.
On the one hand we have the established autonomy of the military profession in relation to political power in society, and on the other an army is looked at as an institution which is not involved in politics.
The issue of democratic civilian control is primarily a question of accepting values that apply in a democratic society. I never work against my own beliefs. So far I have not been in a position to endure any pressure.
Do you have any role models? What kind of legacy did you find once you were appointed Chief of Staff, and what kind of legacy will you leave to your successors? What will you be remembered by?
- I do not have role models, that is for younger people. In some situations it makes me wonder what some of my predecessors have done ... I often think of Zivojin Misic. His work is a landmark in the Serbian history ... Before this office I was Deputy Chief of Staff, so I am fully familiar with the situation in the Serbian Armed Forces, even then, the Army was on the reform path.
