\u00a0The President of the Republic of Croatia as the Supreme Commander of the Croatian Armed Forces,\u00a0\u00a0 Kolinda Grabar- Kitarovi\u0107 congratulated the members of the Croatian Armed Forces the Victory and Homeland’s Gratitude Day and the Croatian Defenders Day as well as the 20th Anniversary of the Military and Police Operation “Storm\u201c and paid tribute to the fallen and missing Croatian defenders, members of the Croatian Armed Forces, the Police and the victims from the Operation Storm and the Homeland War. She also extended regards and congratulations to the members o the Croatian Armed Forces deployed in peace operations worldwide, and particularly in Afghanistan.
The President reminded of 4 August 1995 and underlined its immense importance as a \u201ca brilliant and legitimate operation and a historic moment for Croatia\u201c. <\/p>\n
The President also stated that the members of the Croatian Armed Forces were a guarantee of security and stressed the importance of togetherness of Croatian citizens .
“The military parade held in 1995 was an introduction to the Operation\u00a0 \u201cStorm\u201c and I believe this Parade will signal an economy storm taking Croatia towards prosperity and stability. We should act proud and dignified and prove to the world our respect for the national as well as for and the other countries’ values\u201c said the President. <\/p>\n
Minister Kotromanovi\u0107 extended for his part the congratulations to the members of the Croatian Armed Forces and to the Ministry of Defence staff\u00a0 on the Victory and the Homeland’s Gratitude Day and the Croatian Defenders Day and the 20th Anniversary of the Military and Police Operation \u201cStorm\u201c . In his address the Minister said \u201cTwenty years on, the commanders who conducted the Operation \u201cStorm\u201c will receive the decorations for the merit.\u00a0 I wish to extend appreciation to them and to other members of the Croatian Armed Forces for the immense contribution in the liberation of the country and for the entire 20-year service\u201c said Minister Kotromanovi\u0107.
The Minister underlined the two days commemorating the 20th Anniversary of the Operation. “We should use the opportunity of the two commemorative events \u2013 in Zagreb and Knin – to prove ourselves as a decent and patriotic nation nurturing the respect for own national values and for other countries as well’\u201c said the Minister. <\/p>\n
The Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces, General Drago Lovri\u0107 remembered the beginning of the Operation and its critical importance for the entire Homeland War and the situation in the former Yugoslavia and southeast Europe.
“Our Armed Forces, who waged the victorious operations,\u00a0 grew from the resolute resistance to the agression and the love for their country\u201c.
General Lovri\u0107 emphasised the strength of the Croatan soldiers as tireless humanitarians and patriots, defying fatigue and figthing the demanding and caotic situations by discipline.
“Today the Croatian soldiers take part in the building of peace ans stability, contributing to a better and safer world. There are no obstacles, challenges or enemies that the Croatian soldiers cannot overcome defending the national interests\u201c concluded General Lovri\u0107
The Order of Duke Branimir with neck for outstanding service in promoting the international status and reputation of the Croatian state and its relations with other countries and the successful integration of the Republic of Croatia into NATO has been conferred on the Deputy Defence Minister, Vi\u0161nja Tafra.<\/p>\n
On the occasion of the 20th Anniversary of the Operation\u00a0 “Storm” the Order of Vice-Roy Jela\u010di\u0107 has been conferred on a number of officers for distinguished command and merit in the establishment and development of the Croatian Armed Forces: Major General (Ret.) Vlado Bagari\u0107, Brigadier General (Ret.) Mladen Mikol\u010devi\u0107 and\u00a0 Zdenko Radulj, Staff Brigadier Ivan \u010cani\u0107 (posthumously), Colonels\u00a0 Vlado Kova\u010devi\u0107, \u017deljko Naki\u0107, Stjepan Grgac (posthumously), Colonels (Ret.) \u017deljko Krapljan, \u017deljko Perinovi\u0107, Andrija Buni\u0107, Josip Toma\u010di\u0107, Milan Perkovi\u0107, Ivan Pavi\u0107, \u017deljko Dilber, Gorki Ti\u010dinivi\u0107, Ivan Peica and Jo\u0161ko Dragovi\u0107, Lieutenant Colonels Dragutin Remenar, Ivica Serti\u0107, Ivan Jenji\u0107 and Slavko Vlahov\u00a0 (posthumously), Lieutenant Colonels (Ret.) Branko Glava\u0161, Vinko Jurin, Alojzij Hren, Bruno \u010cavi\u0107, Veljko Vi\u010devi\u0107, Ivan Majer, Vladimir Prugove\u010dki, Mirko Godini\u0107, Vladimir Kati\u0107, Josip Gor\u0161i\u0107, Ivo Andri\u0107, Mijo Kirin\u010di\u0107, Mirko Vukovi\u0107, Ivan Brajkovi\u0107, Ivan Ivkovi\u0107, Danijel Telesmani\u0107, Josip \u010cerina, Mihael Budimir, Dragan Brklja\u010da and Nediljko Siri\u0107, Majors (Ret.) Fabijan Duman\u010di\u0107, Stjepan Kostanjevi\u0107, Ivica Broz, Ernest Tu\u0161ek, Ivica Ivaci, Ivan Lorkovi\u0107, Branko Pe\u010devar, Nikola Zduni\u0107, Luka Matani\u0107, Josip Vici\u0107, Davor Paveli\u0107, Selimir Vuk\u0161i\u0107, Bruno Milin and Zvonko Marko, Captains (Ret.)\u00a0 Vilim \u0160eperi\u0107, Bo\u017eo Vukovi\u0107 and Ferid Fazli\u0107 and 1st Lieutenant (Ret.) Mato Mami\u0107.
The President\u00a0 promoted 85 members of the Croatian Armed Forces, among whom Brigadier General\u00a0 Ivan Juri\u0107 has been promoted to the rank of Major General, and Commodore Tihomir Erceg to the rank of Rear admiral.
Lieutenant Colonels Perica Turalija, Miroslav Kuhar, Dean Kranj\u010dec and Miroslav Zeku\u0161i\u0107 were promoted to the rank of Colonel, and Lieutenant Commander Fran\u00e7ois Buj to the rank of Captain (N).
Likewise, under the decision of the Chief of the General Staff 118 NCOs have been promoted to a higher rank.
The Minister of Defence issued the decision to confer award on one and commendation on\u00a0 13 members of the Croatian Armed Forces, and the Chief of the General\u00a0 Staff issued the decision confer award on two and commendation on five members of the Croatian Armed Forces\u00a0 respectively. <\/p>\n[nggallery id=1832]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The formal commemoration on the occasion of the Victory and the Homeland Gratitude’s Day, the Croatian Defenders Day and the 20th Anniversary of the Military and Police Operation “Storm”, was held in the Croatian Armed Forces Hall (Dom OSRH) “Zvonimir” on 4 August 2015. It was attended by the President of the Republic of Croatia and the Supreme Commander of the Croatian Armed Forces, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovi\u0107, the Defence Minister, Ante Kotromanovi\u0107, the Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces, General Drago Lovri\u0107, the Deputy Defence Minister, Vi\u0161nja Tafra and other senior officials of the Ministry of Defence and the Croatian Armed Forces.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":36322,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[117],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10065","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-press-releases"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n