President Milanović at Support Command’s 22nd Anniversary Ceremony: Military conscription must be seriously discussed in society, not only in the army
“If you want to believe that you will rely only on yourself, then you have a large conscript army. We temporarily gave up on that almost 20 years ago, but now we’re discussing it again. It is a topic that must be seriously considered and discussed in the whole of society, not only in the army,” the President of the Republic and Commander in Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces Zoran Milanović said at a ceremony commemorating the 22nd anniversary of the establishment of Support Command at the 1st Guards Brigade Tigers-Croatia Barracks.
The President of the Republic emphasized the importance of a professional army to train and lead conscript soldiers, highlighting the current shortage of professional soldiers in Croatia. “We lack several thousand men in support and direct combat units. We lack people like you. These are serious issues that we cannot address in any political election campaign because what is promised and decided must be implemented. Otherwise, we are not sending the right message to ourselves and to those with whom we collaborate. A professional army is clearly Croatia’s choice, and this decision wasn’t made overnight – it takes years, and you are the best proof of that,” explained President Milanović, commenting on the current discussions about the reinstatement of mandatory military service.
Furthermore, the President of the Republic emphasized that small, medium, and even somewhat larger countries opt for professional armies, which are expensive, complex, and technically demanding. He pointed out that these countries “must rely on allies because they cannot afford a nuclear fleet, submarines, ships, aircraft carriers, and unlimited aviation.”
Concluding his speech, President Milanović congratulated those present on the 22nd anniversary of the establishment of Support Command. He reminded them of the historic and collective effort of the Croatian people in the creation and defense of the Croatian state. “Everything that has happened and is happening in the last 30 years is a historic and collective effort, initially driven by a small number of good and brave people,” he said.
On the occasion of the ceremony commemorating the 22nd anniversary of the establishment of Support Command, the President of the Republic and Commander in Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces Zoran Milanović presented decorations to the members of Support Command. For honourable and exemplary service, the Homeland Gratitude Memorial Medal was bestowed upon Colonel Zvjezdan Petrović, Colonel Ivan Anton Žlimen, Colonel Mihael Pintarić, Lieutenant Colonel Marinko Tarle, Lieutenant Colonel Damir Grgurić, Lieutenant Colonel Milan Vodanović, Lieutenant Colonel Marko Palameta, Major Mirko Šimić, Major Marko Mesić, Major Mirko Bošnjak, First Lieutenant military specialist Nenad Terek, Sergeant Major Darko Podgorski, Master Sergeant Milan Pećarić, Sergeant First Class Drago Alešković, Master Sergeant Nikola Jelinić, Staff Sergeant military specialist Perica Anić, civil servant Mario Kresl, employee Zdravko Tuškan, employee Dražen Valentin, employee Dane Vidmar, employee Željko Kuštreba, and employee Marijan Hećimović.
In addition to President Milanović, Lieutenant General Mladen Fuzul, Commander of Support Command, and Lieutenant General Tihomir Kundid, Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces, addressed the soldiers at the ceremony.
President Milanović was accompanied by Ivica Olujić, Adviser to the President of the Republic for Defense, Marijan Mareković, Special Adviser to the President of the Republic for Homeland War Veterans, Ivica Kranjčević, Head of the Military Office in the Cabinet for Defense and National Security, and Vlado Čulina, Aide-de-Camp to the President of the Republic.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Dario Andrišek