Air force commander presented with Order of White Eagle

BELGRADE - The Order of the White Eagle (Class 2), which Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic granted to the air force and air defense, was given to Ranko Zivak, the commander of this service branch of the Serbian Armed Forces, on Monday evening.

Nikolic decorated the air force and air defense for their exceptional service in building up the defense system, and Zivak received the order from Brigadier General Vaso Grujic, on behalf of the Serbian president.

Zivak said that the order is a recognition for this generation and all those who dedicated their careers to advancing the Serbian air force and air defense.

At a ceremony held in view of December 24, the Air Force and Air Defense Day, he said that the order is also fresh impetus for the generations to come.

Nikolic decided to grant the order to the air force and air defense for their exceptional service in improving and maintaining operational capacities in the face of new security challenges.

The ceremony, which pointed to the 102-year-long tradition of the Serbian air force, was attended by Chief of the General Staff Gen. Ljubisa Dikovic.

The air force and air defense mark their day in memory of December 24, 1912, when, based on the Serbian military ministry's decision, Radomir Putnik signed the papers to set up the Aviation Command.

At that time, Serbia was one of 15 states that had the air force, with Major Kosta Miletic as its first commander, while the first military airport was located near Nis.

Photo Tanjug, S. Ilic (archive photo)