Honorary Battalion marks 25th anniversary

The ceremony was attended by the President of the Republic Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović as Supreme Commander of the Croatian Armed Forces by the Envoy of the Speaker of the Croatian Parliament Anđelko Stričak, by the Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Damir Krstičević and by the Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces General Mirko Šundov.

The ceremony featured a symbolic awarding of  berets and  ceremonial drills by the Battalion members and by the visiting Protocol Unit of the Slovenian Army. 
  
“I have to extend appreciation as President of the Republic of Croatia for the sacrifice and devotion to the homeland and the valour demonstrated in your duties, and also for the understanding and impeccable execution of any task assigned to you, which are often all but simple. You are an epitome of the Croatian military tradition” , said the President. 

The Defence Minister Damir Krstičević stressed that the Honorary-Battalion, as a successor of the  1st Croatian Guards  Corps, proved its value combatting for the freedom of  Croatia, and its ceremonial uniforms  freedom, stressing that their uniforms became a recognizable symbol for the Croatian public and international diplomacy.

 

 

“You represent the Croatian Armed Forces – their  strength and capabilities. Your presence honours the many ceremonies  and you always keep the expected level of performance. I can proudly claim that you make the élite of the victorious Croatian military” said the  Minister.

The Minister emphasised that the present day’s challenges differed largely from those 25 years earlier and set high demands to any security system, which necessitated well-trained and equipped Croatian. 
The investments into defence constitute investments into future rather than an expense. The investments serve to  create a  safe environment for prosperity for our people and Homeland. Our  Government’s decisions with the support from the President of the Republic have secured the required funds we used to restore the splendor of the Croatian Armed Forces during the past two years. We intend to bequeath to the future generations a modern system, much to their pride” said the Minister.

 

 

Congratulating the Battalion on the 25th anniversary General Šundov said he was proud of their achievements which make them an elite unit all their results that prove that it is truly an élite unit of the Croatian Armed Forces.
“We are today commemorating with special piety all defenders who sacrified their lives for the homeland. The fallen and missing defenders oblige us to keep them in lasting memory of their sacrifice and their family sacrifice and to guard the values they believed in” said  General Šundov.

The Commander of the Honorary Battalion Colonel Elvis Burčul stressed that the members of the Honorary Battalion proved did not need training in courage and that the Croatian people had lasting trust in the Croatian soldiers.
 
“Our mission and tasks laid high responsibility on us, and we have conveyed the victorious spirit on generations of Croatian  soldiers. We are today witnessing to the strength of the Honorary Battalion-an elite unit that builds and guards the Croatian identity, whose splendid uniforms tell the history of the Croatian people”, said Colonel Burčul…

 

 

The members of the Honorary Battalion were presented with awards, and its delegation laid wreaths at the memorial plaque to the fallen members of the 1st Croatian Guards Corps.

The memorial mass  for  the fallen members of the Battalion and for the fallen Croatian defenders was celebrated by the Retired Military Bishop  Mons. Juraj Jezerinac.

The ceremony also featured a performance by the Croatian Navy’s Vocal Ensemble “Sveti Juraj”.

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