Two hundred and four candidates, including 33 women, took an oath for becoming a member of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s (BiH’s) Armed Forces on Friday in Pazaric, a town located 27 kilometers southwest of the country’s capital Sarajevo.
During the solemn ceremony at “Zaim Imamovic” barracks, members 22ndclass of the armed forces were given certificates after 12 weeks long training.
“Investing in young people is a guarantee of the development and success of the Armed Forces of BiH,” the commander of the Center for Basic Training, one of the organizers, Alem Kaplan said during the beginning of the solemn ceremony.
He continued by saying that the Center for Basic Training has the privilege, and a great responsibility to influence candidates, and to teach them military values.
“You have chosen one of their most honorable professions, and your oath is for the preservation of the interests of BiH as the best way to serve your homeland and all its citizens,” Kaplan concluded.
They will continue to be trained both at the individual level and in various other types of collective training practiced by the Armed Forces in order to maintain readiness and raise professional standards to a higher level.
Since 2001, BiH’s Armed Forces have been successfully engaged in peace support operations in Ethiopia, Eritrea, Iraq Afghanistan, Congo and Mali. According to the official statistics at BiH’s Armed Forces website, there are 10,000 professional military personnel including generals, officers, non-commissioned officers and soldiers, 6,000 reserve personnel and 1,000 civilians serving in the Armed Forces of BiH.
