# Military of Serbia Civil Services

The Serbian Land Forces provide aid in all cases of natural disasters deemed serious by the National Assembly of Serbia. Civil aid is outlined in the second pillar of the Serbian Armed Forces' mission statement.

## Donations

During the Russia–Ukraine gas disputes, Serbia and its neighbors were left without natural gas. Hours after possible gas sanctions had been announced, the 19th logistics battalion with the Army First Brigade donated and distributed heaters that used an alternate fuel source. Some of these heaters went to the Novi Sad military medical center.

## United Nations Children's Fund

Chief of the Department for Training and Doctrine Major General Petar Cornakov presented the representatives of UNICEF program “School without Violence” a donation of approximately 290,000 RSD ($6,000 USD), which was collected by the members of Serbian Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defense. The Serbian Armed Forces support similar campaigns to help children get additional education and protection.

## Military Medical Academy

The Military Medical Academy is a military hospital in Belgrade, which the Serbian Armed Forces have voluntarily opened the hospital to all citizens of Serbia. The citizens are free to use the hospital on certain days of the week, during all other times the hospital is reserved for military use.

## Blood Drive

The Serbian Armed Forces organized a blood donation campaign on 28 May 2008 in order to boost the supply. According to head of the Blood Transfusion Institute of Serbia, Snezana Draskovic, in May 2008 the blood supply was below needed quantity. Due to the donations by the Serbian Armed Forces, the blood supplies reached the needed amount.

## Free medical assistance

The medical units of the Serbian Armed Forces have provided free medical assistance and water supply to remote Albanian dominate villages of Presevo and Bujanovac in South Serbia. Military doctors have also visited the villages of Mali Trnovac and Trstena, the reaction of the mayor of Mali Trnovac, Sabri Jukupi, as well as the inhabitants has been relatively positive. The mayor has extended “his gratitude to soldiers of the Serbian Armed Forces” and has stated that the medicine received has been very important to his family.

## Surgical emergencies

Lieutenant Colonel Goran Stankovic of the Serbian Armed Forces, shared an example from a year and a half ago when a 15-year-old boy Jeton Malici from Presevo was helping his father in the woods in chopping trees and hurt his leg with a chainsaw. His father Skender brought him to the local military base Cvore. Captain First Class Jovica Bosanac provided first aid to the boy and ordered that a military medical vehicle transport the boy to Presevo. After the boy had recovered, Jeton’s father brought sweets and refreshments for the soldiers and commanders. The members of 78th motorized brigade had to dig out 1.1 km long water canal due to the inaccessibility of the terrain.

## Road construction

The 78th motorized brigade is credited with the construction of many roads. Including, the villagers of Muhovac, a village in South Serbia which was inaccessible by before the 78th motorized brigade built the road. Another project in the Trniste municipality where the unit has cleared several kilometers of roads that was mostly inaccessible. The Serbian Armed Force members have repaired an 8-kilometre-long (5.0 mi) road from Bujici to Ranitovac village. In addition, the military built a road to a local mosque in South Serbia in the village of Ilince.

## Unexploded missile cleanup

161 depleted uranium missiles have been recovered in southern Serbia, yet no recovery has been made in Kosovo due to the legal restrictions on the Serbian army. The missiles were left in Reljan, near Presevo after the 1999 NATO bombing campaign. During the 78-day air strikes on Serbia's predecessor Yugoslavia in 1999, NATO dropped 31,000 missiles and bombs containing depleted uranium. In Kosovo, NATO identified 112 sites it used depleted uranium munitions on. NATO has not given the government of Serbia a comprehensive list of the bombing sites. The army's cleanup operation in Reljan cleared 12 hectares of contaminated grounds within months. A total of 2.4 cubic meters of contaminated soil has been collected and removed. The Serbian government has funded the cleanup operation in the Reljan site with €350,000 (US$450,000).