Reception for the awarded SAF members
Thursday, 27.12.2018 | News
Minister of Defense Aleksandar Vulin and SAF Chief of the General Staff Lt General Milan Mojsilović, hosted a reception for the MoD and SAF members rewarded and commended for their outstanding professional achievements.
Minister Vulin: “Century of Victors” is proof of might
Today,at the Houses of the Guardsat Topčider, the Minister of Defense Aleksandar Vulin and Chief of the General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces, Lieutenant-General Milan Mojsilović, hosted a reception for the members of the Ministry of Defense and the Serbian Armed Forces rewarded and commended for their outstanding professional achievements in the ending year.
In his address to the audience, Minister Vulin stated that we are not the beginning of everything, and that each of us draws on the value, effort, knowledge, perseverance and heroism of those who came before us.
- The successful and glorious “Century of Victors”exercise that has not been implemented on such a scale and in such a force for a long time, would not have been possible had it been prepared only over the past month, half a year or year. It is the fruit of effort and the creation of an armed force, the persistent and hard work of all our officers and soldiers in the decades behind us – MinisterVulin emphasized, adding that the “Century of Victors” is a victory of a nation.
He continued to say that we are proud to have someone to rely on, that we have an armed force and people who are able to preserve the most valuable and dearest of things–andthat is freedom.
- The “Century of Victors” is proof that we have a powerful, free, combat-ready armed force, able to respond to every challenge at any time given, wherever it may come from. The “Century of Victors” is a worthy homage to our ancestors, a worthy way to tell them that a century following a great victory in a great and terrible war their Serbia is stronger and safer and free, just as it has been at the time of their great victory. The “Century of Victors” is our way to demonstrate to our ancestors that they have not fought in vain and that they have not died in vain, that they knew whom they were fighting for and why.And it shows our descendants they would be left with a country able to defend itself and to decide for itself. Freedom is the most valuable and most significant word in the languagespoken by the Serbian people – said Minister Vulin.
He pointed out that the “Century of Victors”demonstrated to our friends that they can rejoice at the strong and secure Serbia, and to those who are not our friends, never to consider to take Serbia on and never to consider takinganything from Serbia by force.
- A powerful and strong armed force is the most reliable guardian of freedom, a powerful and secure armed force is the best guarantee against war. If you have a mighty and powerful army, there would be no war – saidMinister Vulin, adding that every armed force is created in order to preserve peace and freedom.
The Minister of Defense told the rewarded and commended members of our armed forces that our nation can rely on them, that they are the best of the best; that none of them was standing there by chance, because everyone was rewarded for their own work, persistence, worthiness, and even stubbornness indealing with the problems that needed to be solved.
- You are proof that the best are always rewarded and that dedication towards your own country and the armed forces is always rewarded – saidMinister Vulin, expressing special gratitude to their families for understanding the sacrifice demanded in their line of work.
Speaking to the awarded and commended members, General Mojsilović emphasized that the Serbian Armed Forces of today is organized, trained and equipped to carry out its combat and non-combat tasks successfully and to counter all security challenges and risks.
- Through excellent work organization and professional attitude towards the tasks, you have achieved significant and visible results – emphasized General Mojsilović, recalling the most important activities that marked the year behind us, adding he expected them to dedicate equal professional commitment to their tasks in the future.
Lieutenant-Colonel Aleksandar Zdravković, Commander of 28 Mechanical Battalion of 2 Army Battalion, addressed the awarded and commended pointing out that the prizes and praises were an incentive to strive even more and do more hard work in order to be ready to address all the security threats to our country .
Among the awarded was also Corporal Nataša Ćulafić, a member of the Serbian Guards and a military athlete, who earned the award by participating in the World Marathon Championships in Lebanon.
- This award is an incentive to me to do better work and achieve even better results in the future – said Corporal Ćulafić, adding that the Serbian Armed Forces enables and inspires her, as well as her colleagues in other units, to express their abilities in various fields and that they are rewarded for their success.
The members of the Collegiums of the Minister of Defense and the Chief of the General Staff also attended the reception; and today's ceremony was an opportunity to award military honors and certificates to retired Generals and members of the Collegiums whose professional service ended in 2018.
