Tehran, 2007 Oct 24, IRIB 
 
IRI Army's academies staged a joint graduation ceremony Wednesday in the Sattari Air Force Academy where platoons of cadets marched past the Islamic Revolution Leader Ayatollah Sayed Ali Khamenei.

Ayatollah Khamenei earlier stood in homage before the Martyrs Memorial situated in the premises of the academy and then inspected the military rite of passage.

The IR Leader extolled the national armed forces as the solid arm of the nation and the country.

"Security and calm bring progress, spiritually and materially, to any nation. Today, the Iranian nation enjoys a sublime national sentiment owing to its powerful and alerted armed forces," Ayatollah Khamenei said.

The Commander-in-Chief recalled the memory of the gallant Iranian military commanders of the eight years of Sacred Defense against the Western-backed Saddam Hussein's war on Iran and appreciated them for holding up to the last drop of their blood in defense of the country and Islam.

"All the armed forces must follow those honorable and sincere personalities," the IR Leader said.

Ayatollah Khamenei commemorated the memory of major general Mansour Sattari, the founder of the academy, and underlined further expansion of scientific courses in the Armed Forces academies.

"Armed forces scientific centers must vigorously undertake research, innovation, and full discipline," Ayatollah Khamenei urged, adding that the forces need to enhance their faith and morality above all.

In the beginning of the ceremony, Major General Salehi, the Army Commander General, saluted the Commander-in-Chief and then Brigadier Sheikh-hasani, who commands the Air Force academy briefed the IR Leader on the activities and agendas of the military center.

Ayatollah Khamenei also handed citations or gifts to a number of officers, military trainers, and elite cadets as well as several war veterans, including the widow of the late Air Force major general Babai.

Ayatollah Khamenei also placed badge on the shoulders of several Airmen who were representing the newly-recruited cadets.

At the end of the ceremony, the platoons of cadets marched past the viewing stand where the Commander-in-Chief was standing alongside other high-ranking military authorities.

The cadets then displayed their parade-ground skills.

Meanwhile, Ayatollah Khamenei told a group of Army's scientific elites the same day that a scientific vigor which exists in the Iranian youths manifests a Divine blessing and an achivement of the Islamic Revolution.

"Dignity, independence and lasting security march through the path of science and this is an indisputable reality," Ayatollah Khamenei underlined.

Ayatollah Khamenei emphasized the necessity of a fast-track approach in different scientific and technological spheres in the country, adding that the Iranian researchers did not necessarily have to follow in the footsteps of the advanced countries in order to achieve the same progress as theirs.

"The elites and talented youths can make bright accomplishments and outstanding progress through otherwise indigenous methods," Ayatollah Khamenei said.

Ayatollah Khamenei urged the relevant authorities to pay a special attention to Armed Forces-related research issues and in the same ground called on the Army and the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) to engage in a joint research drive.