President Milanović Attends 33rd Anniversary of Formation of 1st Guards Brigade “Tigrovi“
The President of the Republic and Commander in Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces Zoran Milanović attended today a ceremony marking the 33rd anniversary of the formation of the 1st Guards Brigade “Tigrovi”, and the 16th anniversary of the 1st Mechanized Battalion “Tigrovi”.
The ceremony began by observing a minute’s silence for all the killed, missing and deceased members of “Tigrovi”. Subsequently, delegations of the families of the killed, missing and deceased members of “Tigrovi” and members of the Association of veterans of the 1st Guards Brigade “Tigrovi”, the President of the Republic of Croatia and Commander in Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces, delegates of the Speaker of the Croatian Parliament, of the Prime Minister and of the mayor of Zagreb laid wreaths and lit candles at the memorial to the killed “Tigrovi” members.
Accompanying President Milanović at the wreath-laying ceremony were the Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces Admiral Robert Hranj, the director of the General Staff of the CAF Major General Krešo Tuškan, the commander of the Croatian Army Major General Tihomir Kundid, the chief of staff – deputy commander of Support Command Brigadier General Ivan Raos, the commander of the General Logistical Support Battalion of the Support Command Colonel Bruno Špoljar, the head of the Operational Division of the Operational Command Centre Colonel Eugen Njari, the Adviser to the President of the Republic for Defense Ivica Olujić, and the Special Adviser to the President of the Republic for Homeland War Veterans Marijan Mareković.
Berets were presented after the wreath-laying. Eighty-one members of the 1st Mechanized Battalion “Tigrovi” received berets.
The “Tigrovi” Brigade is proud to carry the epithet of the first Croatian military unit, which was founded as early as on 5 November 1990 in the Rakitje military base. More than 11,000 members filed through the unit, which participated in all military operations of the Homeland War throughout the country. Three hundred and sixty-seven members of the unit laid down their lives in the war for Croatian independence, and six are missing in action.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Dario Andrišek