Posted on 09/17/2009 3:44:31 PM PDT by kronos77
A group of Serbian paratroopers jumped with their Israeli counterparts on Saturday in a festive solidarity parachute jump near Beersheba.
An IDF paratrooper exercise (illustrative). Photo: IDF SLIDESHOW: Israel & Region | World
The group of 10 paratroopers from Serbia's 63rd Airborne Brigade arrived here on Friday for a weeklong visit that will include a ceremony at Ammunition Hill in Jerusalem and a visit to the Israel Air Force's Tel Nof Base.
On Wednesday, the group will hold another solidarity jump in the North and will wrap up its visit to Yad Vashem.
According to Jovan Culibrk, one of the paratroopers, the purpose of the visit is to strengthen military and historic ties between the Jewish and Serbian peoples. Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman is scheduled to visit Serbia later this month as part of a tour of the Balkans.
"We are here to renew the cordial and special relationship that our two peoples always had," said Culibrk, who was the only Serb who participated in the Freedom Jump the IDF held last year in honor of the state's 60th anniversary. "This link is special due to common suffering in camps during the Second World War and our common fight against the same enemies."
Culibrk currently lives here and is completing a doctorate at Yad Vashem. The 63rd Airborne Brigade, he said, was the "spearhead" of the army in the former Yugoslavia.
Ping!
Now THAT would be a cool jump and a cool set of jumpwings. AIRBORNE!
Paratrooper Jovan Culibrk is actually a priest in 63rd airborne:)
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