15.02.2011.

President awards medals to SAF members on occasion of the National Day

On occasion of the National Day Serbian President Boris Tadic has awarded today, the members of the Army of Serbia, Major Slobodan Jocic pilot, and Lieutenant Dejan Milosavljevic gold or silver medals Obilic for bravery. Medals were presented to six members of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and two citizens who through their courage and devotion have deserved such high recognition.

The ceremony at the Presidency was attended by Serbian Patriarch Irinej, Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic, Speaker of the National Assembly Slavica Djukic Dejanovic, Defense Minister Dragan Sutanovac, government ministers, academics, representatives of traditional religious communities and denominations and distinguished guests from political, cultural and public life of the country.

President Boris Tadic congratulated the awarded persons on behalf of the citizens of Serbia, stating that these medals were deserved for their acts of courage, selflessness and solidarity. These, said the President, are values that we want to acknowledge in our country and our communities and in the times to come.

-Your deeds are private ones, done by individuals, but by you have done a lot for all of us. Today, here, together in this institution of the Republic of Serbia, we need to send a message to everyone in Serbia that selflessness, solidarity and personal courage are highly cherished values - said Tadic.

He said that today we mark 207 years of Serbian statehood and that it is a day when we remember all who have built their lives, work and ideals into the Republic of Serbia. Tadic said that the roots of the Serbian state date back to the seventh century, when historians first record the existence of our society under our national name.

President Tadic said that the National Day holiday symbolically represents our existence - the anthem, flag, emblem, festive songs and medals.

Ending his speech, the President once again congratulated the holiday by emphasizing that he was convinced that Serbia would continue to exist, as a country with a bright future despite all the difficulties that have befallen it in the last decades.

Major Slobodan Jocic was awarded a gold medal for bravery "Obilic" for his personal courage while performing flight duties. Major Jocic on 3 June 2010, at the tactical training area airport in La?evci, while performing flight training in shooting, bombing and bombing ground targets with a plane J-22Orao . While making final procedures in preparations for landing, there was the landing gear malfunctioned. The explanation of for awarding the medal reads that major Jocic fully obeyed the rules of the flying instructor and took all aviation-technical instructions to cancel the landing gear on the plane J-22.

Only after unsuccessful application of all possible procedures, the air traffic manager made a decision that additional procedures and maneuvers in order to draw locked plane landing gear should be applied, which major Jocic performed in a controlled manner and operated the plane until the fuel was completely used up. Shortly before the complete consumption of fuel, air traffic manager ordered him to leave the airport area of the district of Knic lake. Major Slobodan Jocic had chosen a safe route to leave the aircraft, direct the aircraft to an uninhabited place to prevent the any loss of lives and more damage and left the plane by ejecting himself.

The plane crashed in the Knic Lake, and Major Slobodan Jocic landed on the ground about 3 miles southwest of the crash site. When he first noticed the failure of the landing gear he refused to leave aircraft attempting to land the plane safely, until the last moment trying to preserve the plane. The Commission established to look into the reasons and responsibility for the occurrence of this emergency found that this was not pilot error, but rather suggested that Major Slobodan Jocic be awarded taking into account what he had attempted trying to save the plane.

Major Slobodan Jocic, as the statement reads, on the occasion of medals in the events described in an extremely stressful situation in which his life was threatened, expressed his personal courage, calmness, composure, commitment to human life and entrusted his technique and executed the orders in full and timely. Awarded in 2005. The medal of merit for defense and security of the second degree.

Dejan Milosavljevic lieutenant was awarded the Silver Medal for Bravery "Obilich”. He was awarded for saving lives in a burning building in Pancevo from that part of the building not accessible to fire units where, as stated in the press release regarding the awards, risked their own lives and suffered injuries. LT. Dejan Milosavljevic commander of the 2nd signaling company of the Command Battalion of the Army Special Brigade.

Major Jocic said after receiving the awards that he had a special feeling of happiness, respect and honor. He said that while receiving the medal he recalled the whole situation when he risked his life to save the plane and later on human lives and property in the country.

Lieutenant Dejan Milosavljevic said that the award of the President was a great honor and recognition for any officer. He said he hoped that his unit, the Special Brigade had shows at its best what it is.

In addition to members of the Serbian Army gold medal for valor have been awarded to members of the police: Vladimir Grandic was awarded posthumously as a member of the Police Department in Novi Sad, Sinisa Glisic, Senior officer in the Department of Emergency Management, Rodoljub Milovic from the Criminal Police, Biljana Lazarevic, Police Advisor to the Police, Dejan Zastavnikovic, junior officer, a member of the Police Department for the City of Belgrade and citizen Boris Gusic. Silver Medal for Bravery "Obilich" was presented to citizen Darko Tijanic.