16th generation of voluntary conscripts takes oath

The ceremony was attended by the families and friends. The distinguished visitors were Lieutenant General  Mirko Šundov, the Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces as the Envoy of the President of the Republic, the Deputy Minister  Tomislav Ivić, the Assistant Defence Minister  Zoran Piličić, the commanders of the services and units of the Croatian Armed Forces, the representatives of the Ministry of the Interior, of the local govenrment bodies and of the associations from the Homeland War.
The oath was taken by  472 conscripts (48 females), who are following an 8-week training cycle in the Basic Training Centre (located in Požega) of the Training and Doctrine Command “Fran Krsto Frankopan“ of the Croatian Army. The training commenced on 26 February  2016.
The central moment of the ceremony was the oath solemnly taken by 472 conscripts, whereby they swore to fulfull their tasks and orders responsibly and abiding by the Constitution and the laws and to protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Croatia.
Congratulating the conscripts the Chief of the General Staff emphasised that the voluntary service opened a career for the future professional soldiers but equally for the members of the reserve component. “ Your duty is to fulfill responsibly your tasks“, said Lt. Gen. Šundov, who underlined the importance of the  experienced instructors and their motivation to transfer their know-how onto the conscripts. “Serving and protecting the Homeland is one of the hardest yet most respectable missions“. 
The Deputy Defence Minister Tomislav Ivić reminded the conscripts that they were serving the military in the year marking the 25th Anniversary of the Croatian Armed Forces. “You are joining the victorious armed forces who realised their mission and won freedom, security and peace for their homeland“, said Deputy Minister extending his congratulations on the motivation and the commitment to contribute to the defence system of the Republic of Croatia. “I am confident that the Croatian Armed Forces offer a truly encouraging environment for continuous learning, new experience building and high-standard performance“.
The official delegations laid wreaths and lit candles at the memorial monument to the fallen members of the 123rd Brigade; the static display with the equipment and weapons in the operational use by the Croatian Armed Forces was staged on the occasion.
The training will offer the conscripts the basic military skills and knowledge. The first two phases are conducted in the “123. brigada HV” Barracks in Požega, while the third one (a 3-week  module) in  field conditions at the “Gašinci” Training Range. The training for the 16th generation will run until April 2016.
As many as 4840 conscripts completed the voluntary military training in the period from 2008 (when in was introduced) to 2015.