Today, at military barracks Boro Menkov in Kumanovo members of the Operations Command (OC) marked the Day of the Unit with a military ceremony.
The Chief of the Army General Staff, Major General Sashko Lafchiski and OC Commander, Brigadier General Besnik Emini both addressed the present guests.
In his speech, congratulating OC members on their day, General Lafchiski stated that the OC is the backbone of the Army, having almost all Army combat units under its command; conducting its mission to continually strengthen the conventional army and air force in order to defend and protect the territorial integrity and independence of the Republic; and having highly trained and equipped forces to participate in NATO, UN, OSCE, and EU led peace-support and conflict-prevention missions, in order to promote and preserve the national interests.
“The OC is the leader in modernizing, equipping and fulfilling the NATO membership derived obligations, defined through capability aims, successfully coping with an extraordinarily complicated and responsible task, which is to shape, develop and prepare the light infantry battalion group to be fully operationally ready until 2027”, said General Lafchiski, adding that the experiences from the Ukrainian war show that modern warfare is dramatically changing, and no matter the price, we must not lag behind in terms of modern technology. Together with our allies we must upgrade our defense capacities, in order to be swifter, more powerful and smarter on the battlefield. Furthermore, he underlined CO’s contribution, since it took active part in dealing with wildfires with its subordinate unites, the migrant crisis, and it also carried out numerous humanitarian and blood-donating actions.
In his speech, Brigadier General Emini emphasized that the command is continuously working towards improving the capabilities and skills of its units in terms of operations and combat readiness. He also pointed up that modernization and investing in equipment leads to enhanced interoperability and integration with allied structures, aiming at joint actions and response to all types of threats. He encouraged OC members to continue to perform their duties and tasks with the same commitment, personal integrity and bravery, adding to the successful shaping of the image of our Army’s modern soldier.
At the ceremony, the members of the command who stood out with the achieved results in their work were given incentives, and certificates of appreciation were awarded to civil structures and organizations that cooperate with the command.
On the occasion, 2nd Infantry Battalion from Shtip, of the 1st Infantry Brigade, was proclaimed the best unit.
The ceremony was attended by the Deputy Chief of the General Staff (GS), Major General Azim Nuredin, GS Director Brigadier General Simeon Trajkovski, other Army Generals, former commanders, MoD representatives, members of the GS and SEEBRIG, the military-diplomatic corps, as well as local government representatives and organizations that cooperate with the command.
The Operations Command carries the tradition of commemorating one of the most significant historical events upon which Army traditions were founded , the day when the first known Staff of an organized army formation was established and Kresna uprising was organized.
