President Milanović presents first officer’s ranks to Croatian Army cadets and tells them: Your first task is to defend Croatia
The President of the Republic and Commander in Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces Zoran Milanović conferred today first officer’s ranks on 15th and 16th generation cadets of the Dr. Franjo Tuđman Croatian Defence Academy who graduated in the fall session.
“Something big is happening here today. You have become officers of the Croatian Army, the only army in Europe that in the last thirty years had the misfortune, yet the honourable task to conduct a war”, President Milanović told the cadets at a ceremony held in the Croatian Defence Academy, adding that along with the Croatian Army, only the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Croatian Defence Council (HVO) had to fight a war, and today the Ukrainian Army.
President Milanović talked about the Homeland War and the fact that Croatia had then been under embargo and had no weapons. “Every operation had to be carried out at lightning speed, and this called for not just courage but organizational skills as well. That’s where you come in. That is your legacy and be proud of it, but do not be haughty. Be proud like someone who knows what it means, who you are, where you come from, who preceded you and what you have to protect”, the President noted.
“Your task, as long as you will perform this honourable, responsible and dangerous calling, is the defence of Croatia and its territory, its constitutional order, its borders and citizens. And that is your first task, all others are secondary. NATO in any case, but first of all the defence of Croatia. That’s something that was hard fought, with great difficulty, bravely and organized in a brilliant way”, President Milanović stated, adding that today is a different time when Croatia is a safe country. “Croatia’s geography was never more positive than it is now. The real dangers that threaten us currently are either insignificant or none at all, but that can change tomorrow”, he said.
“We have to live in peace, steadily, actively, work on ourselves the whole time and learn from day to day. Learning does not stop once you leave this institution. I congratulate you from the bottom of my heart! We have great but reasonable expectations from you”, President Milanović said in concluding his address.
In accordance with his constitutional and legal powers, the President of the Republic and Commander in Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces Zoran Milanović has reached the Decision to confer Croatian Armed Forces’ first officer’s ranks on 9 cadets of the 15th and 16th generations having successfully defended their undergraduate and graduate final papers of the University Study Programmes of Military Engineering, Military Leadership and Management in the Fall Session. They are the following: Filip Kuna, Dino Zelenika, Ana Gunjača, Marin Miličević, Ivan Poljak, Patrik Renka, Tomo Luketić, Tereza Hržan, Marko Jurkić.
Attending the ceremony alongside the President of the Republic and Commander in Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces were the Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces Admiral Robert Hranj and the Deputy Commander of the Croatian Defence Academy Brigadier General Blaž Beretin.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Tomislav Bušljeta