You’re ready to walk dozens of kilometers in unknown terrain, at night, with 40 kilograms? You are able to tread the river when the air temperature near zero? Suffer cramps, sore muscles, scrapes? You have a great hand shooter and innate lucidity? Consider yourself brave? If so, maybe one day the uniform emblem stitched winged serpents.
Are you paying attention to the guys in elegant suits, which unobtrusively, always a step or two, walking beside or behind the President, Minister of Defense and Chief of Staff? Except for a small sign on the lapel, says nothing of who they are and what is the nature of their job. The same emblem you see on the right sleeve of their uniforms, when you meet them in the barracks “Dedinje” at the Military Academy, or any of the polygons, where practicing and perfecting skills, rare and unknown “ordinary” people.
Membership emblem denoting their unit in the form of a shield, inconspicuous olive-beige color. At its center is about a dagger whose blade wrapped with heraldic eagle depicting the wings, threatening one of the most dangerous animals in nature – cobra.
It is no coincidence that it was the Cobra battalion of the care of the security of the most responsible person in the country and the Army. With several special units in our armed forces, the Military Police Battalion for special purposes Cobras sacrosanct value of the Serbian army.
Today, the “Cobra” is part of the Guard, a military unit with the longest tradition of the Serbs. Nearly three decades of experience makes them experts in the preparation and execution of military police and protivdiverzionih actions.
Privilege few to be part of “Cobra”
Being one of them, the honor and privilege of the few. Be an excellent soldier does not mean to be good enough for the Cobras. Usually once a year unit announces competition for admission of new members from the ranks of officers and non-commissioned officer of the Army of Serbia. A small number of capable and persistent enough reach that goal.
This year, fifty-commissioned officer has expressed a desire to test its quality and training during the fasting selective earn a black beret. However, the first ramp for twenty of them were medically examined at the VMA. Captain Dejan Milikić first class, in whose jurisdiction this year’s selection, saying that the medical test more than rigorous.
- Candidates must be absolutely physically healthy. It happened with active athletes are often rejected because they had any, in ordinary circumstances, banal health flaw – mild hypertension or something. When people are exposed to such efforts and loads, as it happens on a selective training, each deficiency can be fatal – says Captain Milikić.
That perfect health is a necessary precondition to the general entered the Selective Training Cobras, we saw 20thOctober at the training ground, “sand” at the Great Gradiste. That day, rain and cold, as if they were clubbing together trying to break the will of the remaining twenty, who in previous Sunday questioned the limits of their mental and physical endurance.
- In addition to physical strength and endurance, candidates must demonstrate outstanding and psychological stability, as many segments of the training process of testing the will to become a member of our unit – the story of Captain Milikić.
According to him, the formal conditions for the arrival of the selection were also significantly different than in other units of the army. After medical examinations of applicants are instructed to check the physical ability. Based on the results, the instructor in charge of the physical training assesses the current state of the candidate and the opportunity for advancement.
Rigorous CHECKS FOR FUTURE cobras
Conditions of competition and anticipate that candidates pass the required security checks, that the professional military service for at least two years, they are younger than 30 years and have at least a very good formal assessment.
- There are established training plans and it is realized by adopting the principle of mechanical skills and drills. Based on the results obtained we can see who and how ready to withstand efforts. We practiced to remove them during certain stages of training. They mostly do it themselves when they realize that they can not have something to do or endure. After 21 days we analyze the results and evaluate them who is eligible to be a member of our battalion – explains the platoon commander for the selection.
The first training took place Sunday at the Military Academy in Banjica and consisted of a combination of physical exercise, base military police tactics and firing a shot. The candidates had to go through one short march to the drum of Banjica Brook and one longer than Jagodina to Sugubina.
The remaining two weeks of training took place at the training ground, “sand” at the Great Gradiste where the order came to “harder” part.
- Every day for two hours we practice physical exercise with elements of combat. Firing from different weapons are also daily.
Again some themes from infantry tactics. Basically the individual segments of the training – highlights Milikić.
However, the most critical segment certainly have a long and arduous marches. Instructors can agree that the largest number of candidates “shoot” right during the march. As they explain, marches are not only the test but also the psychological condition of stability. Reviewed, and the ability to orient in a strange land, but other segments of the military skills and knowledge.
They determine, for example, the task of converting some thirty kilometers long route. At every moment they have with him around 20 pounds of equipment. Halfway is added and transport bag with 20 more pounds, or march “unexpectedly” extended for another five or ten kilometers – lists some of the methods Milikić captain. - We need to say that these people sleep mode disrupted. They sleep much shorter than usual, which is an additional difficulty.
The final march, debt between 50 and 60 kilometers, is the final test that is put in front of the candidates during the 21 days of training. In teams of six people they need to overcome kilometers, rain, blisters, pain and – yourself. This is a rare opportunity to explore the limits of the will. Some of these guys in a few months will become members of an elite battalion vojnopolicijskog. Or not, if you do not meet the criteria. Prestige is maintained only by strict selection. In the world, only about ten percent of applicants overcome all difficulties and went into training special units. There is no reason in the Serbian Army is not so. Sometimes even great is not good enough for the elite, for the Cobras.
Such situations are extremely stressful and few who did not think to give up at some point. However, an important role in overcoming these difficulties is in the spirit of the collective. Often comrades from the team to help buttress the rapidly deflating colleague get through the crisis of his carrying cargo or even him with all the equipment, if needed.
Crossing the river via two crucified taken, treading water and ice creeping through the mud just some of the exercises that put to the test the mind and body. Wearing trunks, combined with countless sets of pushups and sit-ups, one of the surefire ways to acquire severe inflammation of the muscles.
But the new pups are in training.
