President Iohannis: Being a serviceman is not like any other job;Army - fundamental institution of Romanian state

President Klaus Iohannis participated on Friday in the activities occasioned by the centennial anniversary of the "Mihai Viteazul" National Military College, context in which he underscored that the Army is a fundamental institution of the Romanian state. "Being a serviceman is not like any other job. Military education not only transmits knowledge, stimulating intellectual development, but it also trains skills and shapes characters. Devotion and passion, abnegation and professionalism are needed in order to embrace this vocation. Assiduous training during the entire military career is needed. Continuous learning is mandatory in order to perform in a society based on knowledge, which generates changes, including in armed forces. Through the "Educated Romania" project which I released last year in public debate, I promoted the idea of inclusive quality education, based on values, which should lay at the basis of a strong Romania in an increasingly more interconnected world. No doubt, the Army is a school of patriotic education, an institution built on moral values. Honor, homeland, duty, here is the credo that should enliven your entire life, just as it was the credo of our ancestors, whether they were well-known political leaders and servicemen, such as the famous ruler whose name your college bears or unknown heroes, who sacrificed their lives in order to defend the ancestral land. The Army is a fundamental institution of the Romanian state, a role strengthened through the blood sacrifice brought, over time, by those who fell on the line of duty for defending the homeland," Iohannis said in Alba Iulia. He showed that Romania's Army had a significant role in all the essential historic moments, bringing to mind the War of Independence, the creation of Modern Romania, the participation in the First World War and the completion of the Greater Union in 1918, the participation in the Second World War and, after 1990, the participation in operations in the theaters of war in Angola, Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Mali, "where Romania's major interests demand it." The head of state brought to mind the National Political Agreement which allowed the increase of funding for defence expenditures to 2 percent of the GDP, starting 2017, for a period of 10 years. "This doesn't mean only ensuring the Army's endowment with performing military technique and equipment, namely a higher level of operability, it also means more training, education and better work conditions for servicemen. In relation to the "Mihai Viteazul" College, for instance, it means a better endowment with didactic materials, modern laboratories, computerisation of education, better accommodation conditions for those who study here," Iohannis stated. The head of state argued that the "Mihai Viteazul" National Military College is an elite unit of the Romanian pre-university education. "Dear pupils, you are the generation that will take Romania further. For that, you must learn and become good military specialists, leaders and commandants, but also responsible citizens for a prosperous future of our society. Dear teaching staff, you have the noble obligation to develop the potential of every pupil of your elite school and train professionals. Be role-models for these young people, who will remember with joy and pride the years they have spent here, in school! Develop the creative spirit, but also the critical spirit of your pupils, so they become responsible adults themselves, well-trained for the challenges of the future! Don't forget at any moment of how important your contribution is in training some powerful characters and guiding the pupils toward successful careers!," Iohannis stated. On this occasion, the head of state decorated the Battle Flag of the "Mihai Viteazul" National Military College. President Iohannis signed on 25 October the decoration decree of the Battle Flag of the "Mihai Viteazul" National Military College with the Order of "Military Virtue," in rank of Knight, with military insignia for peace, on the occasion of celebrating 100 years since the institution's establishment, as a sign of "appreciation for the high professionalism and important results obtained by the unit's staff in fulfilling specific missions, as well as for the contribution brought to promoting the image of Romania's Army." Representatives of the institution offered President Klaus Iohannis the anniversary plaque of the college. AGERPRES (RO - author: Florentina Peia, editor: Mihai Simionescu; EN - author: Rodica State, editor: Adina Panaitescu)