{"id":22337,"date":"2023-03-20T16:25:32","date_gmt":"2023-03-20T15:25:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.predsjednik.hr\/?post_type=news&p=22337"},"modified":"2023-03-20T16:25:35","modified_gmt":"2023-03-20T15:25:35","slug":"president-milanovic-to-soldiers-in-vinkovci-we-owe-loyalty-to-nato-members-but-defending-the-croatian-homeland-is-above-all","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.predsjednik.hr\/en\/news\/president-milanovic-to-soldiers-in-vinkovci-we-owe-loyalty-to-nato-members-but-defending-the-croatian-homeland-is-above-all\/","title":{"rendered":"President Milanovi\u0107 to soldiers in Vinkovci: We owe loyalty to NATO members, but defending the Croatian homeland is above all"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cYour first and foremost task, mission and calling is to defend the Croatian homeland, our one and only state we only care about. That is the oath you took. You took an oath to the Croatian constitution and the Croatian homeland\u201d, the President of the Republic and Commander in Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces Zoran Milanovi\u0107 told members of the Croatian Army\u2019s Armoured Mechanized Brigade celebrating the 16th<\/sup> anniversary of its formation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He added that \u201cCroatia does not live in isolation because it is a member of international associations, NATO first of all. We owe loyalty to NATO members. We accepted this voluntarily, no one forced us. But first and foremost, your task, your mission and your calling is to defend the Croatian homeland. We can influence this, we have a clear goal, a clear perception and awareness of what it is and is not, where our borders are, who our people are, what our constitution says and the democratically elected order. Everything else is not so clear, more distant and in some way blurred. You have to remember this\u201d, President Milanovi\u0107 stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the ceremony in the barracks of the 5th<\/sup> \u201cSlavonski sokolovi\u201d Guards Brigade in Vinkovci, President Milanovi\u0107 underscored that we must remember and never forget the Croatian defenders who defended and liberated Croatia. \u201cYou stand on the shoulders of your predecessors, the giants of Croatian defense, great Croatian men, people who defended and liberated Croatia in circumstances of an embargo, foreign political ambiguities, a fog that dissipated revealing our true heroes. Those in your unit that are still active are rare\u201d, he noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In conclusion he wished members of the Croatian Army\u2019s Armoured Mechanized Brigade to work on themselves as people, both mentally and intellectually, to continue learning and be physically fit. \u201cTo be ready, shouldneed be, to defend your lives so as to defend the homeland. Only a soldier that is ready, aware, firm and strong can fulfil his tasks. And this task is the hardest and the job you have chosen is probably the hardest job that exists. That\u2019s a fact. It isn\u2019t an easy decision. I wish you rich meaningful years full of experience, work and satisfaction, but also I wish you peace\u201d, the President stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The commander of the Croatian Army\u2019s Armoured Mechanized Brigade Colonel Valentin Skroza addressed the gathering, and said that the brigade is preserving and nurturing the tradition of the Homeland War\u2019s legendary guards units \u2013 \u201cKuna\u201d, \u201cSokolova\u201d and \u201cPuma\u201d. \u201cThe sacrifice made by the Croatian defenders is woven into this tradition and is the foundation on which we are building a strong and modern unit of the Croatian Army\u201d, Colonel Skroza said, and reminded that 571 members of those brigades laid down their lives in the Homeland War, seventeen are missing and 1,888 wounded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He added that the brigade from its beginning was involved in training and preparing forces to participate in international military operations and peace support operations. \u201cThrough international activities we are constantly getting stronger and adjusting to the demands of the contemporary global environment and, by the same token, are strengthening our readiness to defend the Republic of Croatia\u201d, brigadier Skroza noted, and underlined that their main purpose is well trained individuals, soldiers as the foundation of a ready and trained unit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He mentioned a further important mission of the brigade \u2013 assistance to civilian institutions during natural disasters to which the brigade readily provided assistance and achieved cooperation with civilian institutions. As one of the major tasks in the near future for the brigade is the reception and integration of the Bradley fighting vehicle. Members of the First armoured mechanized brigade \u201cSokolovi\u201d are being educated and trained to use it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only with good preparations can we be ready to respond to new challenges thereby actively contributing to fulfil NATO capability goals. Therefore, we will further readily and responsibly carry out our tasks with maximum engagement. We must never forget that we are members of the Croatian Army, protectors of the Croatian people and our homeland who have the greatest expectations from us in difficult times. We must and will always readily fulfil these expectations\u201d, the Commander of the Croatian Army\u2019s Armoured Mechanized Brigade stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the continuation of the ceremony celebrating the 16th<\/sup> anniversary of the formation of the Croatian Army\u2019s Guards Armoured Mechanized Brigade, President Milanovi\u0107 laid a wreath and lit a candle at the monument to the 5th<\/sup> Guards Brigade\u2019s fallen members in the Homeland War. Also attending the wreath-laying and candle-lighting ceremony alongside President Milanovi\u0107 were the Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces Admiral Robert Hranj, the Commander of the Croatian Army Lieutenant General Boris \u0160eri\u0107, the Head of the Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff Brigadier General Mijo Valid\u017ei\u0107, the Commander of the Guards Mechanized Brigade Brigadier General Dra\u017een Ressler, the Commander of the Training and Doctrine Command Brigadier General \u017deljko Ljubas, the Commander of the Croatian Army\u2019s Armoured Mechanized Brigade Colonel Valentin Skroza, the First NCO of the Croatian Armed Forces Sergeant Major Dra\u017een Klanjec, the First NCO of the Croatian Army Sergeant Major Dalibor Dumbovi\u0107, and the Special Adviser to the President for Homeland War Veterans Marijan Marekovi\u0107, the Head of the Military Office of the Office of the President of the Republic Rear Admiral Predrag Stipanovi\u0107, and the Aide-de-Camp to the President of the Republic Colonel Vlado \u010culina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n

PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia \/ Filip Glas<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cYour first and foremost task, mission and calling is to defend the Croatian homeland, our one and only state we only care about. That is the oath you took. You took an oath to the Croatian constitution and the Croatian homeland\u201d, the President of the Republic and Commander in Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces Zoran Milanovi\u0107 told members of the Croatian Army\u2019s Armoured Mechanized Brigade celebrating the 16th anniversary of its formation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":22299,"template":"","news-cat":[12],"class_list":["post-22337","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-cat-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nPresident Milanovi\u0107 to soldiers in Vinkovci: We owe loyalty to NATO members, but defending the Croatian homeland is above all - President of the Republic of Croatia - Zoran Milanovi\u0107<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.predsjednik.hr\/en\/news\/president-milanovic-to-soldiers-in-vinkovci-we-owe-loyalty-to-nato-members-but-defending-the-croatian-homeland-is-above-all\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"President Milanovi\u0107 to soldiers in Vinkovci: We owe loyalty to NATO members, but defending the Croatian homeland is above all - President of the Republic of Croatia - Zoran Milanovi\u0107\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u201cYour first and foremost task, mission and calling is to defend the Croatian homeland, our one and only state we only care about. 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