Skopje, 1 March 2022 (MIA) – The establishment of the special forces marked the start of the Army’s professionalization and today, the Army is prepared to always guarantee the territorial integrity and sovereignty of our country, Defence Minister Slavjanka Petrovska said Tuesday addressing an event marking Special Forces Battalion Day. Special Forces Battalion members, nicknamed “The Wolves”, undergo a selection process requiring meeting specific criteria, including high level of psychophysical preparedness. “Thanks to the criteria you have met, you are the first unit that completed the combat readiness assessment process after the country joined NATO,” Petrovska said She announced that combat readiness evaluation will be conducted in April during the Flash 22 exercise, where the combat readiness of the light infantry battalion will be assessed according to NATO standards. “By taking part in exercises and joint training with the armed forces of the allies, you have proved we met the main goal – advancing of the capability to hold special forces operations in coordination the allies, improving of interoperability, strengthening of relations and trust among the armies,” said Deputy Chief of the General Staff Azim Nuredini commending the unit for their engagement in tackling the pandemic and extinguishing the wildfires that hit the country during the summer.