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READY FOR PARADE AND ACTION: KARABAKH TO DISPLAY ITS ARMY STRENGTH ON MAY 9
By Gohar Abrahamyan
ArmeniaNow
12.04.12 | 11:42
Photo: Gohar Abrahamyan/ArmeniaNow.com
Troops marshaled on the ground near Stepanakert have been practicing
their marching skills ahead of a triple holiday that Karabakh Armenians
are going to celebrate next month.
Soldiers with skin reddened by the spring sun march around the local
airport to the accompaniment of an orchestra, making the ground
tremble far across the area with their goosestep.
Enlarge Photo Karabakh Defense Army Commander Movses Hakobyan
Smiling faces are only a facade to utter attention to commands and
concentration that these servicemen have to do the exercise right and
keep the tiny nation happy during a military parade in Stepanakert's
central square on May 9 that authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh say will
be unprecedented by its "scale and solemnity".
The day will be an occasion for a "triple" celebration. First and
foremost, it will mark the 20th anniversary of the liberation of
Shushi, a fortress town some 10 kilometers to the south of Stepanakert
that had been turned into a stronghold by the Azeris and used for
shelling the Karabakh capital when hostilities broke out in the area
following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Many military experts say the capture of Shushi by Armenians marked
the turning point in the entire course of the war that reached a
ceasefire in 1994 leaving Armenians in control of the territory.
May 9 also marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the
regular defense army of Karabakh as well as the 67th anniversary
of the end of World War II in Europe. (Many Karabakh Armenians
distinguished themselves as soldiers and military commanders in
fighting Nazi Germany as part of the Soviet Red Army in 1941-1945.
Some of them were decorated with medals for heroism and courage
and declared Heroes of the Soviet Union - the highest honor in the
former USSR.)
Officials in Karabakh say the military parade in Stepanakert will
be attended by the infantry, tank forces, aircraft defense and
artillery units.
According to Defense Army Commander Movses Hakobyan, the parade will
display the achievements that Karabakh has made during the past two
decades as well as the current state of the Armenian republic's army.
"Our parade will be different from that held in Yerevan [on September
21, 2011] in the sense that it will not only show the beauty, but
also the full combat readiness of our troops and will thus send
a message to the enemy," Lieutenant-General Hakobyan told a group
of journalists from Yerevan on Wednesday. He added that the parade
itself was helpful in raising the level of soldiers' preparedness
and keeping their fighting spirit high.
According to the defense official, Karabakh troops prove their
efficiency in daily service to keep the republic's borders safe.
"The shootings along the frontline today are just as intensive
as they could be during the phase of active military operations,"
said Hakobyan, informing the media that only during the first half
of Wednesday the Azeri military violated the ceasefire 51 times.
According to the statistics of the Karabakh Defense Army, the number
of ceasefire violations in 2011 increased three times as compared to
2010, as a result of which 11 Armenian soldiers were shot dead in the
frontline, all sustaining fatal wounds in their heads - evidence of
increased sniper activity. But according to the local defense chief,
the Armenian side has maintained its dominant positions in all cases,
which has also allowed it to carry out punitive actions.
According to Hakobyan, today's main focus of the army building in
Karabakh is training officers.
"While during the war we could count on one hand the number of soldiers
with military education, then today five percent of our officers have
academic education, 42 percent have military education," said Hakobyan,
adding that modernization of arms takes place in the Karabakh army
every year. "We have to get armed in order to maintain the military
parity with Azerbaijan. Regional peace is preserved only due to the
defense army."
According to the Karabakh defense minister, all military units in
Karabakh are supplied with necessary means, soldiers' food and other
needs are fully satisfied.
Still, Hakobyan also acknowledged some problems in the ranks, one of
them being hazing that sometimes results in murders and suicides.
"This phenomenon is also present in society and the army is not free
from it either. But we try to control the situation as strictly
as we can to reduce the number of incidents in the ranks and put
interpersonal relations on a high level," said the minister, giving
assurances that "no officer or soldier who commits a crime goes
unpunished."
By Gohar Abrahamyan
ArmeniaNow
12.04.12 | 11:42
Photo: Gohar Abrahamyan/ArmeniaNow.com
Troops marshaled on the ground near Stepanakert have been practicing
their marching skills ahead of a triple holiday that Karabakh Armenians
are going to celebrate next month.
Soldiers with skin reddened by the spring sun march around the local
airport to the accompaniment of an orchestra, making the ground
tremble far across the area with their goosestep.
Enlarge Photo Karabakh Defense Army Commander Movses Hakobyan
Smiling faces are only a facade to utter attention to commands and
concentration that these servicemen have to do the exercise right and
keep the tiny nation happy during a military parade in Stepanakert's
central square on May 9 that authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh say will
be unprecedented by its "scale and solemnity".
The day will be an occasion for a "triple" celebration. First and
foremost, it will mark the 20th anniversary of the liberation of
Shushi, a fortress town some 10 kilometers to the south of Stepanakert
that had been turned into a stronghold by the Azeris and used for
shelling the Karabakh capital when hostilities broke out in the area
following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Many military experts say the capture of Shushi by Armenians marked
the turning point in the entire course of the war that reached a
ceasefire in 1994 leaving Armenians in control of the territory.
May 9 also marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the
regular defense army of Karabakh as well as the 67th anniversary
of the end of World War II in Europe. (Many Karabakh Armenians
distinguished themselves as soldiers and military commanders in
fighting Nazi Germany as part of the Soviet Red Army in 1941-1945.
Some of them were decorated with medals for heroism and courage
and declared Heroes of the Soviet Union - the highest honor in the
former USSR.)
Officials in Karabakh say the military parade in Stepanakert will
be attended by the infantry, tank forces, aircraft defense and
artillery units.
According to Defense Army Commander Movses Hakobyan, the parade will
display the achievements that Karabakh has made during the past two
decades as well as the current state of the Armenian republic's army.
"Our parade will be different from that held in Yerevan [on September
21, 2011] in the sense that it will not only show the beauty, but
also the full combat readiness of our troops and will thus send
a message to the enemy," Lieutenant-General Hakobyan told a group
of journalists from Yerevan on Wednesday. He added that the parade
itself was helpful in raising the level of soldiers' preparedness
and keeping their fighting spirit high.
According to the defense official, Karabakh troops prove their
efficiency in daily service to keep the republic's borders safe.
"The shootings along the frontline today are just as intensive
as they could be during the phase of active military operations,"
said Hakobyan, informing the media that only during the first half
of Wednesday the Azeri military violated the ceasefire 51 times.
According to the statistics of the Karabakh Defense Army, the number
of ceasefire violations in 2011 increased three times as compared to
2010, as a result of which 11 Armenian soldiers were shot dead in the
frontline, all sustaining fatal wounds in their heads - evidence of
increased sniper activity. But according to the local defense chief,
the Armenian side has maintained its dominant positions in all cases,
which has also allowed it to carry out punitive actions.
According to Hakobyan, today's main focus of the army building in
Karabakh is training officers.
"While during the war we could count on one hand the number of soldiers
with military education, then today five percent of our officers have
academic education, 42 percent have military education," said Hakobyan,
adding that modernization of arms takes place in the Karabakh army
every year. "We have to get armed in order to maintain the military
parity with Azerbaijan. Regional peace is preserved only due to the
defense army."
According to the Karabakh defense minister, all military units in
Karabakh are supplied with necessary means, soldiers' food and other
needs are fully satisfied.
Still, Hakobyan also acknowledged some problems in the ranks, one of
them being hazing that sometimes results in murders and suicides.
"This phenomenon is also present in society and the army is not free
from it either. But we try to control the situation as strictly
as we can to reduce the number of incidents in the ranks and put
interpersonal relations on a high level," said the minister, giving
assurances that "no officer or soldier who commits a crime goes
unpunished."