23.12.2017.
Soldiers of December Generation Swore the Oath
Today, the celebrations of the occasion of swearing military oath by the soldiers serving voluntary military service of generation “December 2017” were held today in barracks “Vojvoda Živojin Mišić” in Valjevo and “Vojvoda Petar Bojović” in Leskovac. Minister of Defence Aleksandar Vulin attended the celebration of swearing the oath by the soldiers serving voluntary military service in the barracks “Vojvoda Živojin Mišić” in Valjevo.
The celebration was also attended by the members of the Ministry of Defence and Serbian Armed Forces, the representatives of local authorities and religious communities.
Congratulating the soldiers serving voluntary military service for the sworn oath, Minister Vulin stated that it was not because we did not have other barracks and other training centres that we gathered on that day in Valjevo the most beautiful and the best that Serbia could offer.
- We have not gathered in Valjevo by chance and without occasion. We are standing today in a town, one of the glorious war capitals of that Serbia from 1915. We are standing today in the town where, in that 1915, it was believed and thought that the Serbian state and Serbian army would disappear, much like many believed and hoped that they would disappear in 1941 and 1999. We are not standing in this town by accident gathered around the flag, beneath the name owing to which we exist, but we are standing in the town where Stojadin Mirković was born and walked, a soldier who never broke his word and who was ready to give his life in order to honour his word and the sworn oath. We are standing in his shadow, certain that we will not be lesser, certain that Serbs always give birth to the military which keeps its word, since its word is above all. A Serb does not go to the army because he desires war, but because he knows that the army preserves peace; nor because he wants somebody else’s country, but because he knows that powerful army protects its country. A Serb does not go to the army because he wishes to ruin somebody’s childhood, but because he knows that only strong, resilient and brave Serbian armed forces protect the childhood of our children. That is why we are in Valjevo today - Minister Vulin underlined.
The minister said to the parents that the state could not express how much it was grateful for each and every one of those sons and daughters.
- It cannot express how grateful it is for each year that you spent with them, every tear, and every smile until you lined them up as they are under the flag of their country. May both their ancestors and their descendants feast their eyes on them – Minister Vulin said.
According to his words, Serbia chose its path – the path of military neutrality.
- Serbia has chosen its path of allowing no one to decide on its part what it will do, where it will go, how it will act, to defend its soil, water and sky instead of it; the path of allowing no one to take care of the future of its children instead of it. It is only owing to them, only owing to these armed forces, lined up under this honourable and proud flag that we can say that we will make our own decisions in the future, that our children will speak our language, grow in our country, remember our ancestors and remain deserving of their memory. That is why we are here today. A word has been given which cannot be withdrawn; the oath to the country, the oath to Serbia that loves you, that is proud of you; to Serbia for which one lives – Minister Vulin said.
The oath swearing ceremony held in the barracks “Vojvoda Petar Bojović” was attended by Chief of General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces General Ljubiša Diković with his associates.
Congratulating the soldiers on the sworn oath, General Diković emphasised that through that ceremony they had placed themselves among those that were trained and qualified to steadfastly defend our country, just like many before them had done, and to strengthen and build the capabilities of the armed forces and its combat readiness thus deterring all those wishing to hurt us.
- I am sure that a large number of you, standing here in the line, tomorrow, upon completion of the voluntary military service, will choose the military profession as your calling. The door is open, and each day we accept new soldiers, young men and girls who desire dedicating their life to military profession, and the citizens of Serbia and the armed forces will know to repay them by the improvement of their status and standard which is currently taking place, by providing modern arms and military equipment so that our officers, our NCOs and our soldiers could feel proud and feel respected by the citizens of the Republic of Serbia who consider them to be their own – General Diković said.
According to the Chief of General Staff, the armed forces is not solely the school that teaches young people how to use weapons, but it is a school that teaches people how to overcome obstacles, how to fight throughout the life, how to achieve goals, because young person must never be without goals.
-Today, Serbian Armed Forces fulfil many tasks – in the Ground Safety Zone, at the state border, in missions worldwide – practically, wherever the citizens of Serbia need it, the soldiers will be there. That is how it was, that is how it will be, and that is how we prepare you – General Diković concluded adding that the armed forces “have always been and will remain at service of the citizens of Serbia”.
At today’s ceremony in Valjevo, the military oath was sworn by 216 soldiers serving voluntary military service. In Leskovac, the military oath was sworn by 150 soldiers among whom 31 were girls. That is the fifth generation which voluntarily serves the military service according to six-month model.
