Graduation ceremony of Croatian Military Academy students held

 

The ceremony was attended by the President and Commander in Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces Ivo Josipović, Deputy Parliament Speaker Josip Leko, Defence Minister Ante Kotromanović, Minister of Veterans Predrag Matić, Chief of General Staff Lieutenant General Drago Lovrić, Director of Military Academy Brigadier General Slaven Zdilar and other senior military and civilian officials, representatives of veterans’ associations and of the military diplomatic corps.

In this school year at all levels a total of 376 participants completed education of whom 12 were from the Armed Forces of other countries – Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, Germany and Slovenia, which provides Military Academy education with the international dimension.

At the central ceremony, the President handed over diplomas to 20^th generation graduating students of the Command and Staff College “Blago Zadro” and of the 14^th generation of the War College “Ban Josip Jelačić”, as well as rewards to the best students.

On this occasion, President Josipović said that the military vocation was a difficult and responsible and that the Croatian Armed Forces were guarantor of our security. “The Croatian Armed Forces has never had the most expensive and sophisticated weapons nor will it ever have. Economic crisis required savings in the defense system. But the Croatian Armed Forces has always had and will have all the necessary weapons and equipment needed for the most quality and most important part of the defense system – people, you, so you can meet all its tasks and successfully preserve our freedom and independence”. He invited all CAF members to continue to pursue their education, training and advancement that will be the sole foundation for advancement in the rank.

Congratulating the Statehood Day and the successful completion of education, Minister Kotromanović pointed out that training and education were key to successfully perform the tasks. “You are expected to lead your troops”, Kotromanović said, and added that the MOD and General Staff would do all for the members of the Armed Forces to be well trained, to have a small but strong Armed Forces. He said that the Croatian soldier must serve all to the honor, to be the best, because it is bind on it by all fallen defenders. “Be the same as our commanders in the Homeland War were”, Minister of Defence said.

Chief of General Staff Lieutenant General Drago Lovrić said that the CAF education process has been exercised at all levels. He noted that one of the challenges of military education was its integration in the university system which, according to him, will be a radical step. “Let your knowledge be the answer to the challenges of the future”, General Lovrić concluded.

Director of the Military Academy Brigadier General Slaven Zdilar also congratulated the students on the successful completion of the education. “By learning we preserve the past, but also manage the future”, he said, adding that education is the foundation of military professionalization of the military profession.

A ceremony promoting other levels of education, during which 57 graduating students of the 11^th generation of advanced officer training, 113 students of the 11^th generation of basic officer training, 16 students of the 10^th generation of high NCO training, 60 students of the 26^th generation of advanced NCO training and 76 students of 41^st generation of basic NCO training was also held in the morning. Three cadets – pilots were also promoted.

As part of celebration of the Statehood Day and the completion of education at the Military Academy, Director of Military Academy General Zdilar and the delegation of the Command and Staff College laid a wreath and lit a candle at the memorial Blago Zadro, by whom the Command and Staff College was named, and a Holly Mass was served in the chapel of St. Michael the Archangel on the Croatian Military Academy.

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