Colonel General Dragoljub Bocinov

Colonel General Dragoljub Bocinov

He was born on October 27, 1933, in Strumica, the Republic of Macedonia, in the family of Marija and Pancho. He was married to his wife Marija from 1958, and is the father of one child, his son Aleksandar, born in 1960.

He graduated from secondary school in 1950 in Strumica, and from the Naval Military Academy in Divulje, near Split, in 1954. He continued to the Anti-Submarine School in Pula, in 1963, and to the Command and Staff College which he completed in 1968 (Divulje-Split). In 1973, he graduated from the National Defence School in Belgrade.

He was promoted in the naval rank of Second Lieutenant in 1954 and in 1956 he was promoted to the higher rank, Corvette Lieutenant. In 1963, he was promoted to the rank Frigate Lieutenant (Captain), and in 1965 to the rank of Combat Ship Lieutenant (Captain 1^st Class). In 1969, he was promoted to the rank of Corvette Captain (Major), in 1973 to the rank of Frigate Captain (Lieutenant Colonel), and in 1977 to the rank of Combat Ship Captain (Colonel). In 1983, he was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral (), and in 1988 to the rank of Vice Admiral (Lieutenant General). In 1993, he was promoted to the rank of Colonel General.

Throughout his career he was appointed on duty in several garrisons of the YNA, and later the ARM, as follows: Pula (1954-1963 and 1964-1966), Belgrade (1963-1964 and 1971-1973), Split (1966-1971 and 1983-1991), Shibenik (1973-1978 and 1981-1983), Kumbor (1978-1981) and Skopje (1992-1996), where he held a number of duties:

Towboat Commander (1954-1955);
Torpedo Boat Assistant Commander (1955-1957);
Torpedo Boat Commander (1957-1961);
Patrol Boat Assistant Commander (1961-1964);
Patrol Boat Commander (1964-1966);
Anti-Submarine Ship Commander (1968-1969);
Patrol Boat Division Commander (1969-1971);
Officer in the Section for operational and educational affairs (ONR) in the Military Naval Command of the sector Shibenik (1973-1974);
Chief of Section of the ONT in the Military Naval Command of the sector Shibenik (1974-1976);
Chief of Staff in the Military Naval Command of the sector Shibenik (1976-1978);
Commander of the Military and Naval Sector Boka Kotorska (1978-1981);
Commander of the Military and Naval sector Shibenik (1981-1983);
Assistant Commander for rear support to the military and naval area Split (1983-1986);
Fleet Commander of the Yugoslav Navy (JRM) in the military naval base Lora, Split (1986-1988);
Chief of the Center for Senior Navy Military Schools in the military naval base Lora, Split (1988-1991);
The breakup of Yugoslavia and the desintegration of the Yugoslav Army found him on duty as Commander of the Lora complex in Split, with full responsibility for its defense. At one point he received an order from the Supreme Command to put into use all forces and means in action against the city of Split, which without thinking, he categorically rejected, for which, in October 1991, he was arrested and stationed on remand in Belgrade, and in June 1992, he was sentenced to 18 months in prison and was given the option to be released pending the final verdict, after which, on 26.06.1992 he returned to Macedonia, and on 08.01.1992 he entered service in the ARM and was appointed on the duty, Deputy Chief of the ARM General Staff for Personnel and Education (1992-1993);
ARM Chief of the General Staff (1993-1996).

During his service he received tribute, awards, honors and other incentives for his professional contribution to the tasks performed, and among other, he was awarded with the following: