As many as 20 former students of the Aeronautical Technical School in Velika Gorica and of the Technical Secondary School in Zadar as the Ministry of Defence scholarship holders are completing their specialist military training in the Croatian Air Force Training Centre“Rudolf Perešin“ in the Barracks “Pukovnik Mirko Vukušić“ at Zemunik

“Jumping straight into work“ – is what the scholarship programme for future air technicians by the Ministry of Defence is about. The Ministry is recruiting the personnel in demand in the Croatian Air Force by supporting the third consecutive generation of the senior years students of Aeronautical Technical School in Velika Gorica and the Technical Secondary School in Zadar who chose the air technician profile.  

Following the graduation from the secondary school the scholarship holders take the voluntary military training to acquire the necessary soldier skills. After signing the contract on military service with the Ministry of Defence they are admitted to the active military service and assigned to the Croatian Air Force, where they also take the specialist training in the Training Centre “Rudolf Perešin“ in the Barracks “Pukovnik Mirko Vukušić“ at Zemunik. The “Hrvatski vojnik“ magazine visited the second generation who were in the last phase of the specialist military training, and commended the content, as did the Commander of the Training Centre and the instructors.

“The scholarship programme was initiated based on the air technicians vacancy in the Croatian Air Force. The Ministry of Defence addressed the initiative to the Aeronautical Technical School in Velika Gorica and to the Secondary Technical School in Zadar, with the intent to contact possible candidates and recruit them for the Croatian Armed Forces after the graduation, and motivate them to continue training in the Croatian Armed Forces“, explained the Commander of the “Rudolf Perešin“ Training Centre Colonel  Goran Huljev.

Although they formally enter the active duty upon the graduation from the secondary school and from the voluntary military training, the scholarship holders get familiarised with the system.

“The synergy begins in the senior secondary school years, when the students get introduced into the system. They take hands-on education in the squadrons here at Zemunik and at Pleso already during the senior years, which is an important benefit offered by this scholarship programme. So prior to the admission to the Armed Forces the students get an insight into the organisation and their future colleagues, while we evaluate and instruct them, and the entire process is designed to motivate them to consider their fitness for the military organisation”, says Brigadier Huljev.