With a military ceremony in the “Ilinden” barracks and a ceremonial handover of the unit’s flag, the handover of duty commander of the Honour Guard Battalion (HGBn) between Lieutenant Colonel Darko Stojkoski and Lieutenant Colonel Dejan Velichkovski was held.
In his address, the Chief of General Staff of the Army, Lieutenant General Vasko Gjurchinovski, emphasized that the engagement of the unit, mainly recognized by its participation in military and state honorary ceremonies of utmost importance, should maintain continuity when representing the Army and the country, in order to justify the efforts of all previous generations.
Furthermore, he emphasized that the unit performed its duties and mission professionally under the lead of the outgoing commander, certain that the same path will be continued by the incoming commander, who has been part of this unit until now.
In his speech, the outgoing commander of the HGBn, Lieutenant Colonel Darko Stojkoski, pointed out that he is honored to be part of the family of efficient staff members, the outstanding military orchestra musicians, the excellent staff officers and the exceptional guardsmen. The incoming commander, who has so far actively contributed to all areas of the unit’s operations, should continue applying the acquired knowledge and expertise, take care for the personnel, and stay committed to the tasks in order to achieve unit’s planned vision. Thanking the General Staff for the long term support given, he told the battalion members to carry on respecting the unit’s core values: honor, courage and dedication.
The incoming commander, Lt. Col. Dejan Velichkovski, thanked for the given trust, promising that he will work with dedication and enthusiasm in continuing the positive achievements of the HGBn.
The change of the Honour Guard Battalion commander is only replacement of one, loyal and disciplined officer with another, who performs the assigned tasks with dedication, responsibility and on time. The Honour Guard Battalion will continue to work conscientiously towards unerring execution of the procedures designed to regulate the Army General Staff Protocols, when organizing and conducting all military ceremonies, as well as during the joint implementation of official state ceremonies with military honors, Velichkovski stated.
After announcing and signing the appointment orders, the official duty handover was carried out.
