Oath-taking ceremony for 23th generation of conscripts
The formal oath-taking ceremony of 324 conscripts of the 23rd generation of conscripts taking the voluntary military service (the three rounds in 2018) was held in the Basic Military Training Centre in the Barracks “123. Brigade HV-a” in Požega on 20 October 2018.
The ceremony was attended by the delegation of the Ministry of Defence headed by the State Secretary for Defence Tomislav Ivić as Envoy of the Deputy Prime MInister and Defence MInister Damir Krstičević, by the delegation of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces headed by the Deputy Chief Lieutenant General Drago Matanović as Envoy of the President of the Republic Kolinda Grabar Kitarović, as Supreme Commander of the Croatian Armed Forces Kolinde Grabar Kitarović, by the representatives of the Požega-Slavonia County and of the associations from the Homeland War.
Congratulating the conscripts the tate Secretary for Defence Tomislav Ivić stressed that the military profession implied patriotism and humanity – the true characteristics of the Croatian soldiers, both in war situations, in peace missions throughout the world and in assisting the civilian population.
“Having decided to join the Croatian Armed Forces and to take the voluntary military service, you have demonstrated that you are ready to contribute to the stability and security of our homeland and help our citizens and that you are ready to take the challenge. The Ministry of Defence, for its part is investing efforts to equip and modernise the armed forces and to upgrade their living and working conditions. The efforts have won recognition of the public and increased the interest of young people for military service. In 2017 for the first time since the introduction of the voluntary conscript service there were three rounds of training and this year too”.
Congratulating the conscripts the Deputy Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant General Drago Matanović emphasised that they were successors of the valorous Croatian war veterans of the Homeland War and belonged to the victorious Croatian Armed Forces. “The Croatian Armed Forces are developing nurturing the patriotism, victorious spirit born in the Homeland War and the experience from the international peace-support operations. New capabilities are being developed, thanks to the new assets and equipment procured, the ssstematic and constant practice. The interest of the young people for joining the Croatian Armed Forces, as you are the promise for the future”, said Lt. Gen. Matanović.
The voluntary military training of the 23rd generation will last until 23 November 2018, during which time they will take several training modules – handling individual weapons, movement, communication, protection, reaction, military service, physical training and psychological preparation of conscripts – to be administered in the Barracks “123. Brigade HV” in Požega, in the logistic training ground “Glavica” and in the shooting range “Novo Selo”.
Pursuant to the decision of the Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister, the year 2018 saw three rounds of voluntary military service (February, May and in September), with a total of 1,100 candidates (207 females).
As many as 22 generations with a total of 8,166 conscripts (1017 females) have taken the voluntary military service since its introduction 2008, and 7,500 (877 females) successfully completed it.
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