Mission:
To prepare and organize the defence and protection of the territorial integrity and sovereignty and independence of the Republic. To assist, within it area of operation, the MIA during operations if the security of the country is endangered. To support the state authorities, the local government and various institutions and organizations as well as the citizens when dealing with natural disasters, epidemics, technical and technological catastrophes in its area of operation.
To take part in peace keeping missions and conflicts prevention NATO, UN, OSCE and EU led activities. To contribute to dealing with regional conflicts and crises as well as to protect the wider interests of the Republic.
Tasks:
- To alert, move, transport and rapidly deploy the units to places, areas and regions;
- To plan, organize and conduct offensive and defensive operations and urban area operations;
- To control the territory, to seal directions and to secure regions;
- To give combat-service supports to the units in peace time, during crisis and war;
- To conduct command and control;
- To support MIA when dealing with threats, risks and dangers for the security of the Republic;
- To support the state authorities and local government units when dealing with natural disasters, epidemics and technical and technological catastrophes;
- To take part in peace keeping missions and conflicts prevention missions abroad and to protect wider interests of the Republic.
To plan and conduct personnel and commands training according to NATO standards and procedures and to fully implement the system for training management, to develop leaders-training instructors.
Lieutenant Colonel Zoranche Ristovski
Lieutenant Colonel Zoranche Ristovski was born on May 21, 1971 in Bitola. After finishing high school in Bitola, he continued his education at the Faculty of Technical Sciences, Mechanical Engineering in Bitola. He later pursued military education at the Military Academy in Skopje, where he received professional training and was commissioned as an officer. He holds a Master’s degree from the Faculty of Technical Sciences in Bitola.
Lieutenant Colonel Ristovski began his military career as a platoon commander. Throughout his career, he has held numerous positions, including various command, staff, and leadership roles at the battalion level, as well as serving as Chief of the Section for Development and Instructions at the Training and Doctrine Command. He was appointed Commander of the 1st Infantry Battalion on March 26, 2024.
He has completed multiple courses in training, evaluation, peacekeeping missions, and other military fields. He has participated in numerous military exercises both domestically and internationally. Additionally, he served in the ISAF peace support operation in Afghanistan in 2008 and the UNIFIL mission in Lebanon from 2015 to 2016.
In addition to his Master’s degree, Lieutenant Colonel Ristovski has been honored and awarded multiple times. His awards include: NATO Medal for participation in the ISAF Peace Support Operation in Afghanistan; Medal for participation in the United Nations UNIFIL peacekeeping mission in Lebanon; Small Gold Plaque of the Army awarded by the Chief of the General Staff (CHOD); monetary incentive and commendations from the CHOD, brigade commanders, and battalion commanders.
He is proficient in English with STANAG 2+, 2+, 2+, 3. Lieutenant Colonel Ristovski is married and has two children
Military Career:
- Platoon Commander in the 2nd Logistics Base 1998–2006
- Planning Officer G-3/Training Command 2006
- Maintenance Officer G-4/Training Command 2006–2011
- Procurement Officer G-4/Training and Doctrine Command 2011–2012
- Logistics Company Commander 2012–2014)
- Chief of Staff and Deputy Commander of the 2nd Logistics Battalion (2014–2019)
- Commander of the Logistics Battalion (2019–2023)
- Commander of the 1st Infantry Battalion (2024)
Promotions:
- Second Lieutenant 1998–2000
- Captain 2000–2012
- Major 2012–2016
- Lieutenant Colonel 2016
The 1st Infantry Battalion (1st IBn) continues the traditions of the Kichevo-Mavrovo Partisan Unit, which, became part of the 1st Macedonian-Kosovo Strike Brigade with the “Mirche Acev” Battalion. The unit honors the traditions of its historical past and celebrates “May 21 – the Day of the Unit” with military ceremonies. “June 29 – the Patron Day”, marks the death of the national hero Chede Filipovski – Dame, which is the name of the barracks in the Kichevo garrison. The current 1st IBn was established in the first half of 2012, initially as the 4th Mechanized Infantry Battalion (4th MIBn) and it was manned by the personnel from the former 2nd Mechanized Infantry Battalion from the Ohrid garrison and the 2nd Mechanized Infantry Brigade from the Kichevo garrison, which had operated as the 13th Infantry Brigade from the formation of the Army until April, 2006.
In October, 2020, the 4th Mechanized Infantry Battalion was renamed as 4th Infantry Battalion and in accordance with the transformation of the Army units which began in July, 2023, the 4th Infantry Battalion was renamed as 1st Infantry Battalion.
Throughout its existence, many members of the battalion have actively participated in peace support and conflict prevention operations led by NATO, including missions such as: “ISAF”, “IRAQI FREEDOM”, “ALTHEA”, “UNIFIL”, “KFOR” and many international exercises.
1st IBn personnel have participated in peace support missions, such as:
- ISAF: January 2012 – July 2012 – 13 people;
- ISAF: July 2012 – January 2013 – 63 people;
- ALTHEA: November 2012 – May 2013 – 1 person;
- ISAF: January 2013 – July 2013 – 1 person;
- ISAF: July 2013 – January 2014 – 53 people;
- ALTHEA: December 2013 – May 2014 – 1 person;
- ISAF: January 2014 – July 2014 – 21 people;
- ALTHEA: May 2014 – November 2014 – 1 person;
- ISAF: July 2014 – January 2015 – 7 people;
- Resolute Support: January 2015 – July 2015 – 2 people;
- Resolute Support: June 2017 – December 2017 – 2 people;
- Resolute Support: June 2018 – December 2018 – 3 people;
- Resolute Support: December 2018 – June 2019 – 3 people;
- Resolute Support: June 2019 – December 2019 – 4 people;
- Resolute Support: May 2020 – December 2020 – 4 people;
- TAAC: June 2020 – December 2020 – 1 person;
- KFOR: October 2020 – May 2021 – 1 person;
- Resolute Support: November 2020 – June 2021 – 2 people;
- UNIFIL: December 2020 – June 2021 – 2 people;
- KFOR: May 2021 – November 2021 – 1 person;
- KFOR: August 2021 – February 2022 – 1 person;
- KFOR: November 2021 – May 2022 – 1 person;
- KFOR: March 2022 – September 2022 – 2 people;
- ALTHEA: May 2022 – November 2022 – 1 person;
- KFOR: November 2023 – May 2023 – 1 person;
- UNIFIL: January 2023 – June 2023 – 1 person;
- KFOR: February 2023 – August 2023 – 22 people;
- KFOR: May 2023 – December 2023 – 8 people;
- ALTHEA: May 2023 – December 2023 – 4 people;
- KFOR: August 2023 – February 2024 – 1 person;
- KFOR: November 2023 – May 2024 – 1 person;
- EVA Romania: December 2023 – June 2024 – 3 people;
- EVA Bulgaria: December 2023 – June 2024 – 2 people;
- UNIFIL: February 2024 – September 2024 – 1 person;
- KFOR: February 2024 – August 2024 – 5 people;
- ALTHEA: May 2024 – December 2024 – 2 people;
- EVA Romania: June 2024 – December 2024 – 1 person;
- KFOR: August 2024 – February 2025 – 1 person;
- KFOR: November 2024 – May 2025 – 1 person;
- FLF Bulgaria: December 2023 – June 2024 – 19 people;
- FLF Romania: December 2023 – June 2024 – 9 people.
1st IBn personnel have participated in many international exercises, such as:
- Exercise “Immediate Response 12” in the Republic of Croatia from05.2012 to 09.06.2012;
- Exercise “Wildflecken” in the Republic of Germany from05.2012 to 09.06.2012;
- Exercise “European Endevour 12” in the Republic of Germany from 05.2012 to 07.06.2012;
- Exercise “Rapid Trident 12” in Ukraine from 07.2012 to 26.07.2012;
- Exercise “Rapid Trident 12” from 14 to07.2012 at the TA Yavoriv, Republic of Ukraine;
- Exercise “Immediate response-13” from08. to 01.09.2013 in the Republic of Croatia;
- Exercise “Black see rotation force 2013” from05 to 23.05.2013 in the Republic of Romania;
- Exercise “Active Lion 14” from 16 to01.2014 in Belgium;
- Exercise “Combined Endeаvor 14” from08. to 12.09.2014 in Germany;
- Exercise “Immediate Response 14” from 15 to08.2014 in the Republic of Slovenia;
- Exercise “Quik Lion 14” from 3 to06.2014 in Saint Hubert, Belgium;
- Exercise „Anaconda“ from 4 to06.2016 in the Republic of Poland;
- Exercise “Immediate Response 16” from 8 to09.2016 in the Republic of Slovenia;
- Exercise “Platinium Eagle-1” from02 to 03.03.2017 in the Republic of Romania;
- Exercise “Platinium Wolf 17” from 12 to06.2017 in the Republic of Serbia;
- Exercise “Platinium Lion 17-2” from07 to 11.08.2017 in the Republic of Bulgaria;
- Exercise “Efes-18” from 10 to04.2018 in the Republic of Turkey;
- Exercise “Maple Arch 2018” from 9 to10.2018 in the Republic of Lithuania;
- Exercise “Dinamic front 19” from02 to 10.03.2019 in the Republic of Germany;
- Exercise “Strike Back 19” from06 to 21.06.2019 in the Republic of Bulgaria;
- Exercise “KFOR 28” from09 to 20.11.2020 in Hohenfels, Germany;
- Exercise “First Adriatic regional airweek” from 12 to09.2021 in the Republic of Slovenia;
- Exercise “Disaster Relief Military Mobility Exersize 21” from 18 to10.2021 in the Republic of Slovenia;
- Exercise “KFOR 30” from 03 to02.2022 in Hohenfels, Germany;
- Exercise “Viking -22” from03 to 07.04.2022 in Sweden;
- Exercise “KFOR 32” from05 to 23.06.2023 in Hohenfels, Germany;
- Exercise “Saber Junction” from08 to 22.09.2023 in Hohenfels, Germany.
According to the EU-BG 2/2012 Development Project, the Medium Mechanized Infantry Company from the 4th Infantry Battalion, after successfully completing the evaluations, achieved full interoperability and is ready to carry out conflict prevention operations.
On August 18, 2017, on the occasion of the Day of the Army, the President and Commander-in-Chief, H.E. Gjorgje Ivanov, awarded the “Order of Military Merit” to the Commander of the 4th Infantry Battalion.
Throughout its existence the Battalion has provided continuous assistance and support to state authorities, local self-government, and civilian structures in dealing with natural disasters and epidemics, technical and technological catastrophes, and other emergencies.
