Military Medical Working Group meets in Bratislava (12 March) On 10-12 March, Bratislava hosted the 42nd Session of the Military Medical Structures, Operations and Procedures Working Group (MMSOP WG), oriented towards the provision of NATO’s medical structures and changes in management and standard operating procedures (SOPs). The main themes on the agenda included interoperability and standardization in medical facilities, and new trends in delivering medical support to NATO troops. The opening ceremony was attended by Maj Gen Pavel Macko, 2nd ViceChief of the SVK Armed Forces General Staff, and Col Vladimír Lengvarský, Surgeon General of the SVK Armed Forces. The meeting’s participants discussed the Allied Joint Medical Support Doctrine AJP 4.10B and C. They called on the NATO member states to accelerate the doctrine’s ratification process. Also, they endorsed the approval procedures for standardization agreements (STANAGS) and terminology tracking files (TTFs) in the portfolio of the MMSOP WG. Finally, there were also updates on the ongoing crisis in Ukraine and on different forms of assistance provided, as well as on the Balkan Task Force initiative. ● Upon return of the SVK Armed Forces members from the EUFOR – ALTHEA operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a homecoming ceremony took place in Nová Polianka on 12 March. Among those attending the ceremony were Col Martin Stoklasa, Deputy Commander of the Crisis Management Strategic Centre, SVK General Staff, Col Milan Mezovský, Chief of G-6, SVK Land Forces HQ, and Lt Col Róbert Kecsö, Training Battalion Commander. They awarded the SVK Minister of Defence Medals and Veterans Badges to the SVK Armed Forces members for their service in the mission, as well as handing out the SVK Chief of the General Staff gifts to selected soldiers.
Finnish-Slovak Symposium (18 March) The SVK MOD is interested to see the Slovak defence and security equipment gaining ground also in international markets. This was confirmed by Miloš Koterec, the State Secretary of the Ministry of Defence of the Slovak Republic, during the Finnish-Slovak Defence and Security Industry Symposium, which he opened in Finland on 18 March. “Over the past three years, we have considerably increased the share of defence spending on modernization. However, it is virtually impossible for the domestic manufacturers to meet all the modernization requirements of our Armed Forces. Therefore, we’ve been taking maximum efforts to facilitate their cooperation with foreign partners so as to achieve, among other things, greater engagement of Slovak manufacturers, while concurrently boosting employment levels in the defence industry,” said State Secretary Koterec. He went on to say that the SVK MOD considers the Association of the Security and Defence Industry of the Slovak Republic an important partner, with this bond having been anchored in a mutual written agreement on cooperation. It was precisely due to this reason that the seminar in Finland, attended by representatives of respective defence industries and MODs, was geared towards pinpointing common overlaps in modernization plans and forging cooperation in those areas. During his working visit to Finland, Koterec met with Arto Räty and Marcus Rantala, the Permanent Secretary and State Secretary, respectively, of the Finnish Ministry of Defence. On this occasion, Miloš Koterec suggested holding a joint training exercise, one that would involve the Visegrad 4 Special Forces and the Finnish and Swedish Special Forces. The exercise could be conducted at the Lešť Training Area. He also notified his Finnish counterparts of the training capabilities that the Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Defence Training Centre Zemianske Kostoľany offers to CBRN specialists, where yet another training exercise could be held in the future.
● Members of the 13th Mechanized Battalion Levice proved yet again their excellent physical condition and readiness at the 1st Mechanized Brigade Commander’s Ice Hockey Championships, which was held at the ice hockey stadium in Levice on 11 – 12 March. The tournament involved a total of five teams. Thanks to two wins and two draws, the 13th Mechanized Battalion claimed the victory for the first time. The winning team’s great boost was the goalkeeper PFC Janka Tišťanová, who was also rated the tournament’s best goalkeeper. PFC Milan Paulínek, Topoľčany Military Unit 1090, became the best player. ● On 17 – 18 March, professional soldiers of the Bratislava Garrison HQ participated in a joint field training exercise at the Záhorie – Turecký Vrch Military District firing range. The exercise was focused on basic combat skills development as a complex assignment, with one phase of the exercise testing the soldiers’ acquired expertise and skills. ● The training of the 21st Combined Mechanized Battalion Trebišov main combat units culminated in a platoon-level combat firing exercise, held on 10 – 13 March. The firing exercise took place at the MTA Kamenica nad Cirochou, with the themes planned beforehand according to the units’ specializations. The platoons were tested on conducting day and night defensive, offensive and enabling operations, while exercising, due to the changing meteorological conditions, in different weather situations. That they were well-prepared was proved by their firing results, rated as “Excellent” and “Good”. ● On 17 – 19 March, members of the Combined Wing Sliač carried out an air combat firing exercise with MiG-29 aircraft, aimed at land-based targets, using the GŠ 30.1 air cannon without the assistance of forward air controllers (FACs). Takeoffs and landings took place at Sliač AFB, being home to the aircraft. Pilots carried out 12 sorties, firing a total of 555 33mm rounds at land-based targets. The firing tested their readiness, flight safety remained undisturbed, and the results were rated as “Excellent”. ● On 17 – 19 March, a training course on first aid, bandaging techniques and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) took place in the medical field station in Liptovský Mikuláš operating under the Training, Education and Specialized Preparation Section, Specialized Medical and Veterinary Activities Division, Surgeon General of the SVK Armed Forces Office Ružomberok.
SVK serviceman named UNFICYP’s best military policeman
www.mosr.sk/ebulletin/
(19 March) As part of the UNFICYP peacekeeping mission, apart from SVK Military Police personnel also those from the United Kingdom, Argentine and Hungary have been deployed with UNFICYP’s Force Military Police Unit (FMPU) in Cyprus. Maj Martin Jaššo is currently serving as Assistant Provost Marshal to Maj Karen Miller (UK), Force Provost Marshal. “I am pleased to say that SVK representatives have not lost themselves in the international FMPU unit. On the contrary, MSgt Gomboš was named the best soldier of the month. Needless to say, for Slovakia he earned a good name in the international community of Military Police personnel in Cyprus,” said Maj Jaššo, speaking in a satisfactory manner. Recently, the merits of MSgt Gomboš were recognized also by Maj Gen Kristin Lund, UNFICYP Force Commander. The SVK Engineer Troop (ENGR TP) is the only engineer unit to be operating under the UN peacekeeping mission in Cyprus. The ENGR TP is comprised of three sections: construction-machinery, construction, and repairs respectively. In UNFICYP, nearly 4 dozens of soldiers are tasked with the maintenance and repair of patrol tracks and observation posts in the buffer zone. They are also responsible for reconstructing and repairing military facilities and buildings, maintaining bridges and water reservoirs, as well as providing engineering support when more complicated repair works are requested. They engage, among other duties, in building and repairing heliports, repairing water pipeline systems, electric equipment, waste water and sanitation systems, and last but not least, in building and repairing perimeter fences. By far the most difficult work is, reportedly, to keep patrol tracks roadworthy, especially in the mountainous Argentinian sector.
eBULLETIN MoD SR
Maj Gen Mikluš passes away
On 15 March 2015, Maj Gen (retd) Marián Mikluš passed away at the age of nearly 62 years. He was born on 24 March 1953 in Senica nad Myjavou. After graduating from the Secondary Military School in Banská Bystrica and the Military Rear and Technical Support (Combat Service Support) College in Žilina, he became a professional soldier in 1975. After the establishment of the Slovak Republic, he served in the Army of the Slovak Republic (i.e. today’s SVK Armed Forces) as Chief of Main Rear Logistics. In 1998, the SVK President appointed him Chief of the Army of the Slovak Republic General Staff. In 2004, he was released from active duty and entered the reserves. In 2008 – 2011, he discharged duties with the Permanent Delegation of the Slovak Republic to NATO in Brussels. The last farewell ceremony as a last solemn tribute to Maj Gen (retd) Marián Mikluš took place on 20 March in Trenčín.
Military oath in Martin
(13 March) Having taken a military oath and participated in a passing-out parade at the Martin-based Training Battalion on 13 March 2015, a total of 186 new professional soldiers completed their basic training, thus qualifying for service with the SVK Armed Forces. The ceremony was attended by Col Karol Navrátil, Deputy Commander of the SVK Land Forces, CSM Vladimír Beluš, Chief NonCommissioned Officer of the SVK Armed Forces, and other guests. 1st Degree Private Lukáš Švejkovský, who is to commence his military career with the 12th Mechanized Battalion Nitra, became the best graduate of the basic military training.
Firefighters drill rappelling
(17 March) Members of the Military Firefighting Unit, Prešov Helicopter Wing, took part in an Mi-17 Helicopter rappelling drill. They trained rappelling from a helicopter hovering at a height of 40m, being transported while suspended underneath the helicopter, handling communications with the crew without using telecommunications equipment, as well as conducting a medical evacuation of seriously injured personnel from a badly accessible terrain by means of the UT 2000 stretchers. The drill was carried out on a high professional level without any unexpected incidents, and in favourable meteorological conditions.
(19 March) On 16 – 21 March, selected members of the Gemer-Malohont CBRN Battalion from Rožňava participated in a training exercise at the CBRN Training and Testing Centre in Zemianske Kostoľany. The training with real toxic and chemical substances, as one of the pitches of the battalion’s preparation within a declared force contribution to NATO forces, was being observed by two CBRN specialists, ranked colonels, from the Indian Army, which had expressed an interest in training its troops at this unique SVK Armed Forces facility.
March 16 - 22, 2015