30.05.2013.
Colleagues in the 224th center for electronic warfare
Lt Ivana and Miljana and professional soldiers Aleksandar, Jovana, Biljana, Vesna and Marija, are all working in the 224th Center for Electronic Warfare in Batajnica. The first one is a doctor, the second is a platoon commander for security, and the rest are assigned in this particular platoon or in the telecommunications platoon.- We have no problems-is the answer to the question how they feel among their male colleagues. – We are equal members of this unit. We have the ability to be who we are, women. And we feel god about that, no exceptions are made. There are more and more of us and we do all our colleagues do without exception.
Twenty-eight year old lieutenant, Dr. Ivana Dimkovski’s family is connected to the military, her mother worked as a doctor in a military hospital in Nis, and her grandfather was a military officer. She says her job is "organizational" mainly to monitor sanitary conditions in the field, to conduct water analysis.
- I am really happy here. There are a lot of interesting things. I prefer shooting. Much of this was not accessible to women previously, and generally we have made good results.
Lt. Miljana Prstojevic came to serve in the military barracks "Radovan Medic" at the same time as Ivana. She serves as a platoon commander for security.
- As a child I dreamed of wearing a uniform, and now it is a dream come true when on the last day of August 2008 I entered the military academy. Upon arrival at the unit, I was afraid how the others would accept me, but thanks to my colleagues, especially the deputy company commander Lieutenant Zlatko Rakic, who helped me the most, I found my place in the company of this responsible post.
Biljana Stamenkovic is a professional soldier in the platoon under Miljana’s command. According to this 22-year old, the job as a porter is not difficult. It is based on respect for the procedures of entry and exit to the barracks and is performed routinely. This is confirmed by Aleksandra Maksimovic from Prokupljae assigned to the same post. Biljana is her roommate, and her peer
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As a child I wondered why women could not serve in the army – as Vesna Gavrilovic from Bajina Basta 27 year-old mother of two boys says, who in the 224th center for electronic warfare works as radioteleprinter in the telecommunications platoonVesna's husband is a captain in the same barracks.
- That is nice - she says, adding that it is not unusual for her boys (aged 5 and1.5 years) to see their mother wearing a uniform.
Corporal Jovana Krcevinac Belgrade is not married, but plans to do so soon. She is assigned in the Department for the protection of information, as teleprinter-code brekaer.
- I have renewed my contract and I can say that I am really happy with my work. It's a different set of people here, healthy relationships, everything is fine and this is important - says the girl who has recently finished Business College, her postgraduate thesis being military strategy.
Al girls confirm unanimously that they really feel at home in the 224th center for electronic warfare.
-That is not just a catch phase! We do not have any bad experiences, we socialize privately. We travel together, whenever we have a chance. We function great as a team! Soon we will prepare fish stew and barbecue at Aada Ciganlija, we will have fish stew and the works, together with socializing. We will go together as a team. We cooperate with the House for Adults and Persons with disabilities. We will work diligently as ever, as work always comes first. We hope to celebrate birthdays, weddings, engagements and births of our children together. This is who we are. We cherish the spirit of friendship and unity. I guess we were taught that in the army.
