Gasic Names Jankovic New Air Force Commander
Lieutenant General Tiosav Jankovic has been appointed commander of Serbia's Air Force and Air Defense, under a decree Defense Minister Gasic handed over today at the General Staff.
Defense Minister Bratislav Gasic, serving in a caretaker capacity, today handed over decrees from President and Supreme Commander Aleksandar Vucic on appointments and promotions within the Serbian Army. The ceremony was held in the Great War Hall of the Old General Staff building in Belgrade, attended by Chief of General Staff General Milan Mojsilovic. The reshuffle covers a wide range of personnel changes, from the command of the Air Force and Air Defense (RV i PVO) down to several Army brigades.
The most significant change concerns the top of the Air Force and Air Defense. Lieutenant General Tiosav Jankovic has been appointed commander of that branch of the Serbian Army. Jankovic was born on September 29, 1974, in Uzice, and has served in the professional military since 1997, the year he graduated from the Military Academy. He later completed command and staff training in 2008, General Staff training in 2013, and Advanced Security and Defense Studies in 2017. Until now he served as deputy chief of the General Staff, so the new appointment marks his return to a command post after years spent at headquarters.
Brigadier General Vladan Milosavljevic has been appointed commander of the Training Command and simultaneously promoted to major general. Milosavljevic was born in 1972 in Raska, has served in the military since 1995, and previously headed the General Staff’s Operations Directorate (J-3).
A series of further appointments and promotions followed, according to the Defense Ministry’s statement:
- Brigadier General Novica Gogic, until now deputy commander of the Air Force and Air Defense, has been appointed head of the General Staff’s Operations Directorate (J-3)
- Brigadier General Nebojsa Nedeljkovic has been appointed deputy commander of the Army, and Brigadier General Milan Elenkov deputy commander of the Air Force and Air Defense
- Brigadier General Grujica Vukovic has been appointed chief of staff of the Army Command, and Colonel Vlada Glisic chief of staff of the Air Force and Air Defense Command
- Colonel Branimir Ignjatovic has been promoted to brigadier general and appointed head of the General Staff’s Intelligence and Reconnaissance Directorate (J-2)
- Colonels Vladimir Vukajlovic, Dragan Kuzet, Miodrag Mladenovic and Boris Stojkovic have also been promoted to brigadier general
- Colonel Zoran Jovanovic has been appointed commander of the Army’s 2nd Brigade, Colonel Srdjan Glavonjic commander of the 4th Brigade, and Colonel Bosko Serbedzija commander of the 204th Aviation Brigade
Congratulating the officers, Minister Gasic stressed what is expected of them in their new posts.
An officer is not expected only to know his job, but to be able to make a decision when it is hardest, to be a support to the people he commands, and to safeguard the reputation of the Serbian Army through his personal example. I congratulate you on your promotions and appointments, and I wish you to carry out your new duties as successfully as you have so far. Always keep in mind that trust in the army is built every day, through every action.
The minister said the promotions and appointments are not only recognition for results achieved so far, but also an obligation to continue strengthening the country’s defense system.
Gasic is carrying out these personnel changes at the top of the Army during the government’s caretaker mandate, meaning before a new administration takes over the defense portfolio. When the caretaker mandate will end has not yet been specified.
