President Milanović at Guards Armoured Mechanized Brigade Ceremony in Vinkovci: Your chief task and only real task is to defend the Croatian homeland

The President of the Republic and Commander in Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces Zoran Milanović attended a ceremony at the “Slavonski sokolovi” 5^th Guards Brigade Barracks in Vinkovci marking the 15^th anniversary of the formation of the Guards Armoured Mechanized Brigade of the Croatian Army.

“War is raging in Ukraine. One large country has invaded a smaller country and as is often the case in history, ultimately the price is always paid by the weakest and the poorest. When Croatia was going through its ordeal, horror and nightmare more than thirty years ago, there was no global support except for international recognition that came late, and even less weapons. Everything that your predecessors achieved, they achieved completely on their own, without anyone’s help and facing obstructions,” President Milanović said in his address at the ceremony.

The President of the Republic said that for years we have worked hard to prove ourselves and that we had faith in ourselves, but also that our path was difficult, with mistakes and it was bloody, but above all it was fair and honest and its goal was justified and supported by the vast majority of Croatian citizens and Croatian people. “This is your accomplishment and of all of us, of those who actively participated in this endeavour and are still here today, active and living people among us, and of those who are no longer with us,” said President Milanović. He told the members of the Guards Armoured Mechanized Brigade that as true soldiers they must know that the military vocation is above all a calling and a way of life. “We are here to defend the Croatian homeland together and to make sure, should the need arise, that we have something to accomplish this with, above all with people, and only then with equipment,” the President added.

“Dear Croatian soldiers, slavonski sokolovi, I congratulate you on your anniversary! Work, educate yourself, move forward, be ambitious, but also cordial. Be aware at all times that your chief task and your only real task is to defend the Croatian homeland, our people and all citizens, our borders – all that is most sacred to us and that your predecessors, and some of you as well, have acquired on their own,” concluded the President of the Republic and Commander in Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces.

In the remainder of the ceremony marking the 15^th anniversary of the formation of the Guards Armoured Mechanized Brigade of the Croatian Army, President Milanović laid a wreath and lit a candle at the memorial to the fallen members of the 5^th Guards Brigade in the Homeland War. Attending the wreath-laying alongside the President of the Republic were the Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces Lieutenant General Siniša Jurković, Commander of Support Command Lieutenant General Mladen Fuzul, Deputy Commander of the Croatian Ground Forces Major General Tihomir Kundid, Adviser to the President of the Republic for Defence and National Security Dragan Lozančić, Special Adviser to the President of the Republic for Homeland War Veterans Marijan Mareković, Commander of the Guards Armoured Mechanized Brigade Brigadier General Mijo Validžić, Commander of the Training and Doctrine Command Brigadier General Željko Ljubas, Commander of the Guards Mechanized Brigade Brigadier General Dražen Ressler and Commander of NATO’s Multinational Division Command (Central) and former Commander of the Guards Armoured Mechanized Brigade Major General Denis Tretinjak.

PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Tomislav Bušljeta