Defence Academy 22nd Anniversary and 11th Cadet Generation Oath Taking Ceremony

The ceremony was attended by the President of the Republic of Croatia, Ivo Josipović as Supreme Commander of the Croatian Armed Forces; the Assistant Defence Minister, Ms Sunčana Vukelić, the Chief of the General Staff, Gen. Drago Lovrić, the Director of the Academy, Lt. Gen. Slavko Barić, senior officials, the staff of the Defence Academy, of the Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defence respectively, and the members of the families and friends of the cadets.

In his congratulatory address to the Defence Academy, the President of the Republic underlined the essential  part the Academy had had in the building of the today’s modern Croatian Armed Forces. “The Croatian Defence Academy has had a vital formative contribution for generations of today’s soldiers, non-commissioned officers and officers of the Croatian Armed Forces, who evince superb knowledge, enthousiasm and capabilities required to meet the biggest challenges inherent in the service” stated the President and congratulated to the cadets on the oath taken and the achieved active duty status.

The Assistant Defence Minister, MS Sunčana Vukelić, highlighted the continuous progress and development of the Academy, which, as she stated “has reinforced its fundamental position with regard to education of the members of the Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Croatia, which is the desired direction of its future development too. Knowledge is the key to success”.

“You have chosen the noblest and the most honourable way of serving your homeland and its citizens, for which you deserve gratitude“, was the message by the Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces, Gen. Drago Lovrić to the cadets. He also stressed that the oath taking was to remain an event to remember for a lifetime, for both the cadets and their families.

Following a review of the past 22 years of the Croatian Defence Academy’s activity,  Gen. Lovrić announced a new period to begin in 2014 with the long-planned opening of two new undergraduate studies programmes integrated with the higher education community in the Republic of Croatia.

“The Croatian Defence Academy has since 1991 fulfilled all of its imissions, growing and developing in response to the challenges of the moment, and has made its invaluable contribution to the liberation of the country by training and preparing the soldiers, NCOs and officers for the mission and for its Euro-Atlantic integration subsequently”, stated the Director, Lt. Gen. Slavko Barić, extending his appreciation to all those who had helped the Academy attain the present form and level. He also congratulated the present and former members of the Academy staff and students and announced that the Academy would continue to serve as a point of encounters, co-operation and understanding.

On the occasion of the Academy’s anniversary, decorations, promotions, awards and commendations were presented to the outstanding members of the Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Croatia. The ceremony also featured a promotinal video for the Academy produced by the Multi-media Department of the MoD’s Public Relations and Information Service and a performance by the Croatian Navy Vocal Ensemble “Sveti Juraj” and the “In BES” Wind Quartet.
[nggallery id=1318]

Video

{video}hvu_promo_19122013|620|560{/video}