16.09.2014

Handover of duty of Odbrana Media Centre Director

At the handover ceremony of Odbrana Media Centre Director, former Director Lieutenant Colonel Slavoljub Markovic, who goes into regular retirement, handed over the duty to Colonel Stevica Karapandzin.

Besides the employees of the institution, the handover ceremony was attended by Colonel Petar Boskovic, Head of Public Relations Department, who emphasized the important contribution of Lieutenant Colonel Markovic in the high positioning of Odbrana Media Centre in the defence system and the field of media and culture. He took over the duty of a Director and Editor in Chief of Odbrana Journalism Centre in 2006, and in the previous year he launched the magazine Odbrana, which continued unbroken tradition of military press in Serbia. As part of the reform process he formed the Odbrana Media Centre in 2010, which successfully integrated the work of three former institutions, Odbrana Journalism Centre, the Serbian Armed Forces Central Club and the Military Publishing Institute.

- Lieutenant Colonel Markovic run this prestigious house expertly and economically, raising high the standards that remain also for the future work – Colonel Boskovic pointed out.

Introducing the new director, Colonel Stevica Karapandzin, Head of Public Relations said that it was a responsible officer and an extraordinary man who has proven himself in numerous positions in the units of the General Staff, in particular as a "key man" to restore the religious service in the Serbian Armed Forces.

Thanking to the Head, and the members of the collegium and the collective of Odbrana Media Centre on the long-standing trust and cooperation, Lieutenant Colonel Markovic reminded of his belief that the institution, led by him for nine years, was a developmental project, and added that he believed that the new director would continue to successfully lead this process.

- I am going to retire happy because I had the opportunity to do the job I love, and the team I led achieved good results which I am proud of – Markovic said.

New director of Odbrana Media Centre Colonel Stevica Karapandzin pointed out that it "will not be easy to perform the function of a director after Lieutenant Colonel Markovic", announcing the continued development of this house that will follow the needs of the system.

Colonel Stevica Karapandzin was born on 25 May 1966 in Zrenjanin. He graduated from the Military High School, Military Academy, Command Staff College and General Staff College. As artillery officer he performed a number of duties from the Platoon Leader to the Chief of the Division of Operations and Training at the Artillery Brigade HQ. In the Department of Human Resources (J-1) of the Serbian Armed Forces General Staff he performed the duties in the field of tradition and religion. He managed the development of the Code of Honour of the members of the Serbian Armed Forces, and in the past five years, principal engagement of Colonel Karapandzin was on returning the religious service to the Serbian Armed Forces. He has published several articles in military professional and scientific journals.