20th anniversary of the 3rd Guards Brigade “Kuna”

The ceremony was attended by representative of the Croatian President and the Commander in Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces and the Army Commander Lieutenant General Mladen Kruljac, the representative of the Prime Minister, Minister of Family Affairs, Veterans and Intergenerational Solidarity Tomislav Ivic, representative of the Minister of Defence and Chief of General Staff Major General Josip Stojkovic, “Kuna” commanders and war veterans, their friends, families, local authorities and many other dignitaries.

In line with the official Kuna veterans were members of the Guard armoured mechanized brigade, and the report to the representative of the President, General Kruljac was given by a retired Colonel Marko Leko.
The famous 3^rd Brigade “Kuna” was formed in hard times 20 years ago. The brigade had participated on many fronts all over Croatia. They were defending Vukovar, Vinkovci, Osijek, Zadar area… Almost 10 000 soldiers served in this brigade, and today Tank Battalion of the Guards Armoured Mechanized Brigade (GOMBR) is called “Kuna”.

During the war 367 brigade members have been killed, 1088 of them were wounded, and 17 are still missing. “They must be sacred to us and we have to say it to younger generations, because just by this we will have a future”, said retired Brigadier Leko. “We will do everything for this brigade to live forever in us and in our descendants.”

Major General Josip Stojkovic, representative of the Minister of Defence and Chief of General Staff talked about the wartime period of the brigade: “The proud Kuna chalked successes in the war”. Kune are the backbone of the current GOMBR and it was established from their experience, skills, sportsmanship, and, according to General Stojkovic, it is therefore not surprising the success with which GOMBR perform its duties in the country as well as in international operations.

Minister of Family, Veterans, and Intergenerational Solidarity, Tomislav Ivic said that the Kuna executed its war tasks proudly and honourably. “Throughout the war you were only defending your homes and your homeland”, Ivic said, adding, “Croatian defenders were victorious in the war and protecting them and their families is on the first place of the Ministry of Family, Veterans and Intergenerational Solidarity, and the entire Government”.

Representative of the President of the Republic General Kruljac who was himself one of the wartime commanders of the third Brigade said that brigade “woven immeasurable contribution to the liberation and the creation of a Croatian state”. He also recalled on the time of establishment 20 years ago,  on dead, wounded and missing members. “Remembering the dead awakens sadness, but also the pride that they were with us and for truth and history, we must always remember them”, General Kruljac said.

As part of the commemoration of the anniversary, visitors could see the exhibition of the equipment used in GOMBR, exhibition of photographs and a small exercise of GOMBR members was performed as well.