With a military ceremony held at the “Strasho Pindzur” barracks in Petrovec, service personnel of the Air Force Ving (AF VING) within the Operations Command (OC) marked June, 10 – the Day of the Unit. This day symbolically commemorates the first military flight in the Army history in 1992 and today stands an institutional hallmark of the Army’s military aviation.
The ceremony was attended by the Chief of the General Staff of the Army, Major General Sashko Lafchiski, the Commander of the Operations Command, Brigadier General Mirche Gjorgoski, the Director of the General Staff of the Army, Brigadier General Orce Jordev, as well as representatives from the Ministry of Defense, the General Staff of the Army, the Operations Command, unit commanders, former commanders who led this structure in various phases of its development, representatives from the Ministry of Interior, the Association of Defense Attachés, and local government officials.
The Chief of the General Staff, congratulating the Unit’s Day, emphasized that with hard work and dedication, the AF Ving has grown into a respectable and fully compatible unit, which functions and develops in accordance with NATO standards.
“Guided by interoperability and operability standards, and within the framework of the long-term defense development plan, I am pleased to emphasize that the AF Ving is on its way to being modernized with new, modern aircraft, as well as the most sophisticated combat systems and equipment for successful air defense, which will increase its combat readiness,” added General Lafchiski. On this occasion, he also emphasized the extremely important role of the unit in supporting civilian institutions and citizens in general.
In his address, the Commander of the AF Ving, Colonel Dragan Pavlovski, emphasized the importance of June, 10 as a symbol of the perseverance, vision and professionalism of the military aviation, which has been successfully developing from the very beginning, despite the great challenges after the independence of the country. He recalled the key historical moments and stages in the development of the aviation component, starting from the first military flight in 1992, through the procurement of helicopters and aircraft, participation in international missions, modernization and the establishment of the Pilot Training Center. He expressed gratitude to all members of the unit for their dedication and emphasized that the military aviation remains a key pillar of defense capabilities and a reliable partner within the Alliance.
As part of the ceremony, recognitions and incentive measures were awarded to members who distinguished themselves with particular dedication and professional engagement. Those present also had the opportunity to watch a flyover of aircraft owned by the AF Ving and a flyover of F-16s, aircraft of the Greek Air Force as part of regular air patrols.
Ahead of the celebration of the unit’s day, members of the AF VING organized sports activities, a blood donation campaign and laid fresh flowers as a sign of respect for the tragically deceased members of the AF VING – an act that testifies to the nurturing of the spirit of solidarity, care and institutional memory.
June, 10 remains a symbol of continuity, expertise and vision – foundations on which the future of the Army’s military aviation is built.
