Oath-taking ceremony for 108 cadets at CDA

The ceremony was attended by the President of the Republic as the Supreme Commander of the Croatian Armed Forces,  Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, the Deputy Prime Minister  and Defence Minister as Envoy of the Prime Minister   Damir Krstičević , the Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces, General Mirko Šundov, Deputy Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General  Drago Matanović and other senior visitors, cadets’ families and the families of the heroes of the Homeland War Blago Zadro and Predrag Matanović.
The oath was taken by  108 cadets of the 15 th generation  (98 cadets of the 4th generation of the university studies – “Military Engineering“ and “Military Management“ and 10 pilot cadets.  Among them (without taking the oath) were six visiting students, from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia and Montenegro.  The undergraduate study programmes were developed a s joint project of the Croatian Defence Academy  and the University of Zagreb, intended for the future officers of the Croatian Armed Forces.

The President as Supreme Commander of the Croatian Armed Forces in her address  stressed that  the cadets’ decision to join the Croatian Armed Forces was a major and honourable mission.  “My congratulations go to all cadets on this special day. I am confident  that you will show loyalty and serve the Homeland.   May the memory of the fallen defenders guide you to accept any new challenge and to execute any task.
Accepty any assignment as reward as it leads to progress; you are guarantors of the security and stability of Croatia. New crises and crisis points, new threats and challenges to our security render the military profession ever more complex and demanding“.
The Deputy Prime Minister  and Defence Minister as Envoy of the Prime Minister   Damir Krstičević
emphasised that the Croatian Armed Forces needed the cadre with higher education  to provide „timely and efficient response to ny threat  or risk and protect adequately the Croatian people“.
The Minister announced the prospective transformation of the Croatian Defence Academy, entailing full integration into the university education system of the Republic of Croatia and the equal status as other students .“In my capacity as Defence Minister, I guarantee  that your efforts will be recognised and valued. Your hard work in studying and training will be rewarded , as well as investing into personal development as humans, officers and future leaders in the Croatian Armed Forces.

The Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces, General Mirko Šundov  called on cadets to guard the values built into the foundations of the Croatian Armed Forces. 
“Be proud of what you have achieved and stick to the famous  saying by Euripides:Never tire up of serving the fatherland. You are going to demonstrate the skills you have acquired and to apply them in real life situations.  Your military training and competence will be important, as will also your social intelligence to rely on in the international environments, respecting the cultural norms and diversity“.
The Commander of the Croatian Defence Academy, Lieutenant General  Slavko Barić said the oath-taking day was important for the Croatian Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defence, but also for all cadets who chose  the honourable profession.  “I wish to extend appreciation to your parents, who raised you to be motivated for this honourable profession and to serve the homeland .
In the coming years you are going to work hard, learning and investing into your future to become officers recognisable in the military and civilian environments and in international environments too“, concluded Lt. Gen. Barić.
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