RA MINISTER OF DEFENCE SEYRAN OHANYAN’S GREETING SPEECH ON THE OCCASION OF THE 15TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MILITARY INSTITUTE AFTER VAZGEN SARGSYAN

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31. 07.09

RA Minister of Defence Seyran Ohanyan’s Greeting Speech on the
Occasion of the 15th Anniversary of the Military Institute after
Vazgen Sargsyan and of the Recurrent Flow of the Graduates of Military
Educational Institutions

Honorable President of the Republic of Armenia, Your Holliness,
Mr. Generals, officers and students, dear guests:

I am heartily greeting all of you on the occasion of the 15th
Anniversary of the greatest MoD officers’ educational establishment –
Military Institute after Vazgen Sargsyan, and of the Recurrent Flow
of the Graduates from higher military educational institutions. The
Military Institute after Vazgen Sargsyan was established in 1994 on
the borderline of war and ceasefire, when the Armenian army, based
on the voluntary detachments, had already gained gigantic experience
in battle activities.

That was one of the best times, when the experience of the regular
militants was merged with the unparalleled devotion of the volunteers,
which was to transform to a military experience and practical knowledge
from fight to fight and by every appliance of a new weapon. However,
like in every sphere, and even more than the other spheres, the Armed
Forces need regular recruitment and r enovation. For this reason it was
an imperious necessity to shape a new generation of officers, so that,
together with their seignior brothers, who had deserved the victory
in the front, they would continue the difficult and crucial task of
protecting our motherland and continuously increasing the fighting
capacity of the Armed Forces. Today, it is a gratifying reality that in
different commanding circles the responsibility of commanding in the
Armed Forces is already equally shared between our over four thousand
officers, who have graduated from RA higher military educational
establishments – motorized infantry, artillerists, tankers, scouts,
military doctors and pilots, officers specialized in aviation and
anti-aircraft defence, and they have almost all the commanding posts
in the army – from detachment commanders to regiment commanders. This
is to say that our military educational establishments, now for sure,
are well established and serve their purpose, which embodies the dream
of all of us and symbolizes its realization today. The passed years
have shown that the Armenian military educational establishments have
shaped worthy successors – officers – who both continue the heroic
tradition of the Armenian army and master today’s military business
at best. And the latter has a simple formula, "The direction of power
in time and space." Due to the science developments, today time and
space have decreased in battle activities. But, at the same time,
the role of the human has increased – the role of an officer who
is educated, masters in the complex technologies of the time, is
literate and devoted to his motherland. From this point of view, I’d
like to mention that we have expectations just like this, that you,
filling the rows of the officers in the Armed Forces, will promote
the development of the army building and, by sincerely loving the
motherland, you will assist to the invincibility of its borders and
the strengthening of its defence.

Our army has been and will always be subject to universal care. The
issues of the army – issues varying from army building and social
status of the militants to strategic issues – have always been in the
centre of the state’s attention. And the fact, that today our army is
protecting the borders of the motherland with honor and is ready to
face any challenge, is a result of the attention of the President,
the government of our country and the Armenian people towards the
Armed Forces. This attention also obliges us to continue improving and
developing by everyday studies, to increase the fighting capabilities
and walk parallel to the quite strict demands presented to the armies
of the 21st century.

Parallel to the present defence reforms, the personnel policy is also
quite important. And today one of our tasks is to recruit the Armed
Forces with professi onal personnel possessing modern knowledge. To
the solution of this topical problem assist not only the higher
educational institutions of the RA MOD and the foreign ones,
but also other educational institutions of the republic. I would
like to acknowledge the preparation of military doctors, military
bandmasters, medical psychologists, military instructors by the State
Medical University after Mkhitar Heratsi, Armenian State Pedagogical
University after Khachatur Abovyan, State Conservatory after Komitas,
Gyumri Pedagogical Institute after Mikael Nalbandyan. By heartily
congratulating all the newly-converted officers, I wish you health,
peaceful service, will and determination to unfailingly walk up the
difficult path of a militant and conquer heights. Be informed, that
the profession of an officer is heroic! Be proud and be strong and
successful in all your undertakings! I wish that you and the whole
officers’ personnel have the devotion of your seignior brothers and
necessary commanding knowledge, so that the cherished idea of the
protection of the country and the distinct issues of its realization
will be merged in your service. The preceding generation of Armenian
officers that has had hard destiny, inherited you a rich tradition, and
I am sure, that you will enrich and pass it to the coming generation
of graduates from our military educational institution.

As a conclusion, in this ceremonial settings, I want to assure the
Commander-in-Chief that, today too, the Armed Forces is to act in
accordance to the demands of the time and is to continue to carry
out its mission with honor for the sake of the peaceful and creative
coexistence of our people.