New Class of Serbian Armed Forces NCOs Was Promoted
Friday, 25.7.2025 | Stories from Units
At the Memorial Complex "Takovski Grm" in Takovo, a ceremony has been held today on the occasion of the completion of the 52nd class of “1300 Corporals” Secondary Vocational Military School and training of the participants of the 2nd NCO Course and their promotion to the first NCO rank.
The ceremony was attended by Minister of Defence Bratislav Gašić and Chief of the Serbian Armed Forces General Staff, General Milan Mojsilović.
Minister Gašić presented the best students of the Secondary Vocational Military School “1300 Corporals” with the NCO ceremonial swords, while the Chief of the General Staff presented the NCO ceremonial swords to the best participants of the NCO Course.
Congratulating the youngest NCOs of the Serbian Armed Forces, the Minister of Defence pointed out that “in the place where the Serbian people, two centuries ago, united and determined, set out to restore the freedom and statehood of Serbia, today we welcome a new class of NCOs into the ranks of our armed forces.”
— I believe that we are all aware of the symbolism of this fact. In Takovo, back then, from the ancient knotted tree of our national being, a graft was received from which everything we have today sprouted and matured. From that coil, a generation of young patriots branched out and blossomed, in whose honor we have all gathered here. Our great and brave deceased ancestors are rejoicing, because the tricolor flag goes to the hands of a generation that has proven itself worthy of the uniform and rank, worthy of the responsibility of command and officer’s title. By deciding to become professional members of the Serbian Armed Forces, and through hard work and sacrifice, during their education and training, these beautiful young men and women deserved to have their promotion ceremony in this very place, together with their officers and their loved ones —╔ said the Minister of Defence.
On that occasion, he emphasized that NCOs have always been the key support and connective tissue of any strong and well-organized army.
— The individual training and morale of soldiers, the state of weapons and materiel depend on their knowledge, skill and initiative. The ability of an NCO to convey and implement the commander’s strategic plan at the tactical level makes him an irreplaceable element of the military organization. That is why the education, training and upbringing of that category of personnel in the Serbian Armed Forces is as important as the training of officers, because without professional and dedicated commanders of squads, teams and crews, even the top quality of their commanders would not be noticed — said Minister Gašić, telling the young leaders that they are the “reinforcement of the Serbian Armed Forces”, because if they know their job, if they believe in true values, respect the authority of their superiors and dignity of their subordinates, “then our organization is unbreakable”.
The Minister of Defence has said that the state has invested a lot and will continue to invest in modern weapons and equipment.
— We are incomparably stronger, incomparably better paid than a decade and a half ago. It is up to you to achieve your full potential in a system that values your work, offering you a chance for improvement and advancement. There is an open road in front of you that you should step on boldly, striving for the highest professional standards, knowing that in every segment of life you are bound by the flag of your homeland and your armed forces. You must be exemplary both in and out of service, because the trust of the citizens obliges you to do so. Don’t forget that trust and love for the military uniform, it was the generations before you that earned it with their work and sacrifice — said Minister Gašić.
At the end of his address, Minister Gašić has told the young NCOs that they will remember this day for the rest of their lives as a defining moment between “before” and “after”.
— From this day on, you will be carrying not only a burden of rank and responsibility, but also the halo of honor, On behalf of the Ministry of Defence, on behalf of the State of Serbia, I wish you iron health and heroic happiness, I wish you to serve your country in peace, build successful careers and have large families. May your knowledge and your strength be the shield of this nation — Minister Gašić said.
The best student of the 52nd class of the Secondary Vocational Military School, a newly-promoted Sergeant of the Serbian Armed Forces, Andrej Milivojević, addressed the audience on behalf of his colleagues, as well as on behalf of the 2nd class of the NCO Course, stating that this day will stay in everyone’s memory, because they stand side by side with the commanders and officers who strengthened their self-sacrifice, perseverance, responsibility and prepared them to serve the fatherland.
— We knew what our goal was and that we had to step forward seriously from day to day. We learned to persevere, rely on each other, support each other and be a team. Our colleagues, participants of the 2nd class of the NCO Course, also, with the quality guidance and wholehearted support of their superiors, worked diligently and dedicatedly on their training to perform the initial NCO roles within their gender/service — said Milivojević, adding that “all of us who are standing in front of you today have acquired the knowledge and skills needed to become non-commissioned officers, but what is even more important — we have grown into quality and honest people.”
The ceremony, which was rounded off with the flyover of the Eagle aircraft, was attended by the Deputy Minister of Defence of Bosnia and Herzegovina for Resource Management, Aleksandar Goganović, members of the collegiums of the Minister of Defense and Chief of the General Staff, representatives of the organizational units of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces, Head of the Moravica Administrative District Marko Parezanović, President of the Municipality of Gornji Milanovac Dejan Kovačević, representatives of religious communities, relatives and friends of the youngest sergeants.
