The army, in order to be trained, must have a training ground, and the space on Sinjajevina has no alternative, said the Chief of the General Staff of the Army of Montenegro (VCG), Dragutin Dakić.
"That area is recognized as the only adequate one in Montenegro, among other things, because it is completely state-owned. The country must have a trained Army, and the Army, in order to be trained, must have a training ground," said Dakić in an interview with the MINA agency. .
He clarified that the essence of the military job is to carry out the training of soldiers every day in order to improve the level of training or keep it at the appropriate level.
"The types of training that soldiers carry out represent a wide variety of skill levels that soldiers must achieve. In addition to general military and specialist training, soldiers are also trained to support civil institutions, which is the third mission of the Army of Montenegro," Dakić said.
According to him, classrooms, workshops, barracks and training grounds are used in order to conduct such types of training.
"The VCG does not have a training ground. A few years ago, the Ministry of Defense initiated a procedure to find an adequate space, where the training of units up to company level would primarily be carried out," reminded Dakić.
He said that such a location, which meets the needs and standards of the CGV, and which is fully owned by the state, was found on the eastern side of the Sinjajevina mountain, in the area administratively shared by the municipalities of Mojkovac, Kolašin and Šavnik.
"The mentioned location was used for the same purpose by the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA)," said Dakić.
"In order to prepare the necessary documentation for the declaration of that area as a military training ground, the Ministry of Defense hired experts who determined its borders, which are 18 kilometers long and six kilometers wide," Dakić said.
As he said, VCG takes care of environmental protection.
"First, it is about small amounts of explosives. The annual needs of the Army of Montenegro are a tenth of the amount of explosives that are destroyed on a daily basis during the construction of the highway. We are talking about the types of explosives that are used daily in construction, such as TNT or black powder." , explained Dakić.
VCG, as he stated, has no intention of building permanent facilities in that area, but will logistically rely on the "Breza" Barracks in Kolašin.
"We planned to carry out the shooting before going up to the katuns and after returning from them. The citizens of Montenegro have only benefits and benefits from the Army. We intend to build access roads that will make it extremely easy to stay in the katuns," said Dakić.
He assessed that the protests when it comes to the training ground in that area are to the greatest extent politically motivated.
"The institution I head serves the interests of the state and its citizens. I would like to remind you that VCG helps the development of the whole of Montenegro. Our Engineering Company helps the local self-government in the construction and reconstruction of roads and bridges, while always creating a relationship of mutual respect and of trust," said Dakić.
As he said, he expects from local communities, non-governmental organizations and others, regardless of political constellations and relationships, to keep in mind that it is their army, that is, the army of the state of Montenegro, and that its ability and efficiency depend on its training. protection of citizens from all kinds of threats.
He said that in that area the training would be mostly carried out by units of the Land Army.
"This would include infantry training, training for mountain warfare and training in artillery firing. Also, the Air Force would conduct search and rescue training in mountainous areas in the same area," said Dakić.
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