Army Day of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (15/04)

April 15 is Army Day of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

But, despite the name, this day is not the Army Day of Bosnia and Herzegovina Day. The Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), along with the Croatian Defense Forces and the Bihachev Croatian Defense Council, fought against the Army of the Republika Srpska and Yugoslav People's Army during the civil war in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1992—1995.

The army was founded on April 15, 1992, which is why this day is celebrated as Army Day of the Republic of BiH, which was actually the Bosnian army in BiH along with the Serbian and Croatian ones.

Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska have their own armed forces and are staffed respectively by Bosniaks and Croats in the first case and Serbs — in the second. The troops have services of the mufti, Orthodox and Catholic priests.

After the reform of the defense system in 1995, the BiH Army was transformed into the Bosnian Rangers —, one of the three component regiments of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina (AF BiH).

The Armed Forces of BiH number about 20 thousand people, consist of ground forces and air force and are subordinate to the Ministry of Defense of BiH.

The authority at the federal level, the Presidium of BiH, is the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of BiH, and civilian control over the Armed Forces is exercised by the highest federal legislative body — Parliamentary Assembly, or Assembly of BiH. BiH is part of the NATO «Partnership for Peace» program.

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