A total of 193 current students of the University of Defence (UO) today ceremoniously completed their studies at the only military university in the country. The graduation ceremony for the graduates of the Brno faculties of UO took place at Freedom Square in Brno. Among the graduates, within the Faculty of Military Leadership, the most represented specializations were Military Logistics and Commander of Mechanized and Tank Units, while at the sister Faculty of Military Technology, these were Military Pilot, Cybersecurity, and Combat and Special Vehicles. Graduates from a broad range of other specializations meet the current needs of the Czech Army. Including graduates of the Military Faculty of Medicine, who completed their studies earlier, the University of Defence expanded the ranks of the Czech Armed Forces by a total of 220 new officers in the just-ended academic year.
Alongside representatives of the Ministry of Defence, the most significant event of the academic year at UO was also attended by Pavel Fischer, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Security of the Parliament of the Czech Republic; Jana Mračková-Vildumetzová, member of the same committee; other members of the Defence Committee of the Chamber of Deputies; representatives of state administration and self-government bodies; representatives of defense industry companies and universities; among them a foreign guest – Brigadier General Aurel Sabó, Rector of the Academy of the Armed Forces of General Milan Rastislav Štefánik in Liptovský Mikuláš.
The highlight of today’s ceremony was the commissioning of graduates by this year’s best student, Lieutenant Ing. Kryštof Harant. The Rector-Commandant placed the university insignia in the form of a sword on his shoulder. “After years of joint work, demanding exams, morning roll calls, trainings, and long evenings spent with textbooks and scripts, the moment has come when we reap the fruits of our effort,” Lieutenant Harant stated on behalf of all graduates. He himself and eight other students of the Brno faculties of UO were rewarded with material and monetary gifts for their academic results and exemplary fulfillment of service duties during their studies.
This year’s graduates, including 16 pilots, were twice saluted from the cockpits of their aircraft during the ceremony. First, a trio of Mi-171 helicopters flew over Freedom Square. At the time the fresh graduates conducted their final ceremonial march, the roar of jet engines from Jas-39 Gripen fighters echoed above the center of Brno. The definitive end of their university studies was marked by the tossing of caps into the air. Immediately afterwards, it was time for congratulations from former colleagues, family members, and loved ones.
The military graduation ceremony is followed in the afternoon and evening by its academic counterpart. The program includes five rounds of graduations during which graduates receive university diplomas and take the academic oath.
The ceremonial event in the heart of the university’s seat city began with a report from the commander of the training regiment to the First Deputy Minister of Defence, František Šulc, who then thanked the graduates in his speech for choosing to serve their country: “I highly appreciate that you have combined your interest in education precisely with the defence of the Czech Republic.” Lieutenant General Miroslav Hlaváč, First Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Czech Armed Forces, added his perspective on the role of a soldier as a commander: “An officer is not defined by rank, but by attitude. The attitude under stress, uncertainty, and pressure to withstand with honour.” The Rector-Commandant of the University of Defence, Brigadier General Jan Farlík, recalled some circumstances that marked the period of study for this year’s graduates, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and last year’s floods, in which students demonstrated precisely those good qualities the school wants to develop in its students. “Do not forget your alma mater and share your experience with it in the future, because those who come after you will need it,” General Farlík said in farewell to the departing students.
Author: Viktor Sliva
Photos: Viktor Sliva, Aleš Mylan, Petr Pechar
