\u201cCongratulations on taking the oath! It is short and very clear \u2013 just a few words, two or three sentences \u2013 and yet it says it all. That oath is voluntary, and you are volunteers in my eyes. You have willingly accepted the training and have willingly pledged to serve the Croatian state, its Constitution, and its laws,\u201d said the President of the Republic and Commander in Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces Zoran Milanovi\u0107 addressing the first generation of conscripts undergoing Basic Military Training, who took their oath today at the \u201cEugen Kvaternik\u201d Military Training Ground near Slunj.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In his speech at the ceremony, President Milanovi\u0107 recalled that Croatia had not conducted conscription for 18 years \u201cbecause eighteen years ago the response to conscription was low.\u201d \u201cAlmost everyone opted for civilian service, which is a constitutional right and category, so the practice was discontinued at the time. Today\u2019s initiative reflects Croatia\u2019s need to maintain a standing army and fill its ranks, ensuring that alongside a professional army, we also have a reserve,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Congratulating the conscripts on their oath, President Milanovi\u0107 expressed satisfaction \u201cwith your personal, conscious decision to spend two months here in training, learning military skills.\u201d \u201cAfter two months, which is a brief period, you will leave here as the same individuals. You will remain connected to yourselves, your lives, and your families,\u201d the President said, confident that the conscripts will remember this training as a meaningful and valuable period of their lives, \u201ca new experience that is also important for Croatia, which needs both a professional army and a reserve.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe times are such that modern weapons systems cost the state enormous sums and will only become more expensive. Those who produce these weapons and hold monopolies over their production will not waste time and will seek to maximize their profits,\u201d the President noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn the hope that everything you are learning \u2013 and will learn over the next two months \u2013serves only as a useful warning and a supplement to your knowledge, and is never actually required for national defense, I wish you success, fulfillment, and a positive experience during this training. I hope you return to your successful civilian lives afterward. And if anyone chooses a military career \u2013 my respect, because it is a true calling. The army, as you swore, embodies discipline and hierarchy, but with a humane face, not abuse. It also represents friendship and brotherhood among soldiers, courage, and responsibility,\u201d President Milanovi\u0107 concluded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today, a total of 801 conscripts took the oath at three locations: 400 at the \u201c123rd<\/sup> Brigade HV\u201d barracks in Po\u017eega, including 82 women; 201 at the \u201cGeneral Andrija Matija\u0161 Pauk\u201d barracks in Knin; and 200 at the \u201cEugen Kvaternik\u201d Military Training Ground near Slunj.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to the President of the Republic and Commander in Chief, the ceremony at the \u201cEugen Kvaternik\u201d Military Training Ground was attended by the envoy of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense of the Republic of Croatia, State Secretary at the Ministry of Defense Drago Matanovi\u0107, and the Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Tihomir Kundid. President Milanovi\u0107 was accompanied by the Adviser to the President of the Republic for Defense Ivica Oluji\u0107.<\/p>\n\n\n\n PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia \/ Ana Marija Kati\u0107<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cCongratulations on taking the oath! It is short and very clear \u2013 just a few words, two or three sentences \u2013 and yet it says it all. That oath is voluntary, and you are volunteers in my eyes. You have willingly accepted the training and have willingly pledged to serve the Croatian state, its Constitution, and its laws,\u201d said the President of the Republic and Commander in Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces Zoran Milanovi\u0107 addressing the first generation of conscripts undergoing Basic Military Training, who took their oath today at the \u201cEugen Kvaternik\u201d Military Training Ground near Slunj.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":42475,"template":"","news-cat":[12],"class_list":["post-42476","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-cat-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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