The president of the republic defended on Tuesday that political power must give the armed forces “status and conditions that correspond” to what he asks of the military, and emphasized that it took a long time for some promises or expectations to materialize.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa spoke at the ceremony to hand over the swords to the 39 new army officers, at the Military Academy, the Amadora detachment, in Lisbon, when he greeted the army and called on the citizens to “play the unique role ” of the armed forces.
Speaking to the new officers, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces emphasized that the goal of being better people, civilians, soldiers or leaders will also depend on “the fatherland and those responsible”.
“The homeland, represented by the political power of the state so, and rightly, proud of you and your achievements, inside and out, must offer you status and conditions that correspond to what is asked of you and what you will received,” the head of state defended.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa emphasized that “recognition, admiration, praise in words are important, but no less recognition, admiration and praise for facts”.
“And they sometimes took too long to go from promises or expectations to reality,” he added.
Without directly referring to the recent case of the 138th Army Commandos Course, which led to a soldier requiring a liver transplant, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa left a warning for the new officers.
“Now begins the journey in the service of Portugal (…) with attention to your health, so that uncontrolled excesses, your own or others, do not hinder your progress,” he said.
In a speech lasting about ten minutes, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa also asked the military to have “sensitivity to internal gestures” that tarnish the department’s external prestige.
“With permanent solidarity and respect for the institutions and their distinctive symbols, which only strengthen your spirit and sense of belonging. With the cult of excellence where it is essential,” he underlined.
The head of state called on new army officers to apply these values in the different scenarios in which the armed forces operate.
“In defense of our new borders in Romania, in defense but also in humanitarian tasks in the Central African Republic or in Mali. In preventing and supporting the fight against natural tragedies here, such as forest fires or universal pandemics, with vaccination also within and outside,” he illustrated.
The head of state highlighted Portugal’s training to armies “from sister countries whose official language is Portuguese” or to European allies, and emphasized the role of the armed forces in United Nations, European Union and NATO missions.
Marcelo warned that the deployment of these soldiers is “stronger”, but also “gives them more responsibility”.
“You have weapons to defend them and to defend theirs and your life, but you know that weapons should serve the country, the rule of law, democracy, freedom, equality, social justice,” he stressed.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa appealed to the military to be better leaders, saying that “a soldier need not be a commander of rank or rank to be a leader of example and moral inspiration”.
“Being a better person, citizen, soldier, leader every day depends on your will, your character, your personality, your attachment to the values you swear to observe and promote,” he stressed.
Armed forces are irreplaceable and not a “luxury of the present”
The president of the republic also referred to the fact that the armed forces are irreplaceable for building peace, a role that everyone should understand, and denied that they are a “parchment of the past” or a “luxury of the present”.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa spoke at the ceremony of handing over the swords to the new army officers, at the Military Academy, in the Amadora detachment, in Lisbon.
Speaking to the 39 new army officers, Marcelo emphasized that the journey of these soldiers begins “in wartime”, which “is not only European, but a real world war”.
“A time when everyone understands, or should understand as never before, why the armed forces are so irreplaceable. To make peace, to avoid war,” he defended.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces underlined that “every time any woman or man, around the world, feels the rise in prices, energy costs, the food situation, it is impossible not to understand that, in addition to everything else, the war that their living conditions deteriorate”.
“The urgency to build peace makes the unique role of the armed forces increasingly clear. They are not a scroll of the past, they are not a remnant of tradition, they are not a luxury of the present. They are not a replaceable burden of the future” he emphasized.
The head of state stressed the importance of the armed forces for peacebuilding.
“To prevent wars, all of them, and especially the most shocking in the violation of the principles of law between nations. The people in the national territory, especially in times of greater tribulations, for all this the armed forces are irreplaceable,” he stressed.
A little earlier, in a minor intervention, the Army Chief of Staff, General Nunes da Fonseca, stated that the new officers of the Permanent Staff reaffirm the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces “the professionalism, dedication, knowledge and rigor that go into the fulfillment of all his attributions”.
“The Army congratulates and wishes these young officers personal and professional success in the belief that they will know how to be guided permanently by the noblest values instilled in them. In this way they will contribute to strengthening the public image of the armed forces and will honor the condition of the soldiers of Portugal,” he underlined.
After the interventions, and with many relatives and friends attending the ceremony, the swords were blessed and handed over, followed by the parade of troops in parade.
The ceremony was attended by, among others, the Secretary of State for Defence, Marco Capitão Ferreira, who represented the executive.
Handing swords to officers is traditionally done when the military completes their training and symbolizes the authority bestowed on the position of command and leadership.
Source: DN
