Disposal of aircraft ammunition at Záhorie (April 2) Members of the National centre EOD Nováky operated in the premises of the Military Technical and Testing Institute Záhorie. They carried out tests aimed at re-establishing safety, focusing on procedures of disposing ammunition safely in a non-explosive way. The aim was to gain information essential in terms of setting up procedures for individual types of ammunition, using the EOD devices. These procedures are based on interruption of initiation reaction through mechanical separation of a fuse detonator or through breaking a body of the fuse. Testing started with the most commonly used artillery ammunition of caliber 100, 122, 125 and 152 mm and with munitions that was left after the explosion in MRP Nováky. Subsequently, testing continued with engineering ammunition (mines), artillery mines (82, 120 mm), 125-mm tank ammunition, and ammunition for the Dana 152-mm self-propelled gun-howitzer. Eventually, tests with aircraft ammunition to include BeTAB-250 anti-runway bomb, OFAB MARS 250 high-explosive fragmentation bomb or S-10 and S-2 missiles started last year. Since the Slovak Republic adheres to Convention on Cluster Munitions, testing included also disposal of cluster munitions. ● The Commander of the Training and Support Forces (TSF), Col Martin Stoklasa, said good-bye to the outgoing staff members of the TSF Headquarters during a farewell ceremony on Monday 31 March. He thanked the staff for their work, wished them much success, and presented them with Commemorative TSF Commander Badges, Grade II and III. Lt Col Peter Dolinay took up the appointment of Deputy Chief of Operations Support Branch, TSF HQ, as from 1 April.
Anniversary of liberation (April 4) Minister of Defence of the SR Mar n Glváč a ended the commemora ve ceremony held on the occasion of the 69th anniversary of libera on of Bra slava. Accompanied by Deputy Speaker of the Na onal Council of the SVK Renáta Zmajkovičová, Minister of Labour, Social Affairs and Family Ján Richter and Bra slava Mayor Milan Ftáčnik, he paid tribute to the vic ms of war at the Victory Memorial on the Eugen Suchoň Square. “We are here to commemorate those who had laid down their lives in a fight for freedom 69 years ago,” said Minister of Defence Mar n Glváč at the Victory Memorial. 742 Soviet soldiers and 470 German and Hungarian soldiers, as well as 121 civilians, lost their lives in ba les to liberate Bra slava.
Medals of Minister of Defence
www.mosr.sk/ebulletin/
(April 3) On the occasion of 10th anniversary of the Slovak Republic’s accession to NATO, a ceremonial parade of members of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the SR was held on 3 April in Bra slava. Among the invited quests were Lt Gen Marián Áč, Chief of the Military Office of the President of the SR; chiefs of staffs of the GS, commanders and deputy commanders of the opera onal headquarters and units directly subordinated to the GS. Deputy chief of the personnel planning sec on of the Staff for Support Opera ons of the GS Lt Col Ján Plinta read the order of the SVK CHOD on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the SR’s accession to NATO. SVK Chief of Defence Lt Gen Peter Vojtek emphasized the importance of our membership in the Alliance, highligh ng the key milestones on the road of Slovakia to NATO, and he expressed his wish that responsibility and professionalism that we appeal for nowadays would become an everlas ng challenge for any member of the SVK Armed Forces in his or her military career. Chief of Defence awarded the selected members of the SVK AF with Commemora ve Medals of Minister of Defence of the SR to mark the 10th anniversary of the Slovak Republic’s accession to the North Atlan c Alliance.
● The Martin-based 11th Mechanized Battalion's military ceremony at Podháj Barracks, held on the last day of March, gave the 11th Mech Bn Commander, Lt Col Milan Cvik, the opportunity to thank the outgoing deputy commander, Maj Vincent Cséry, for the work he had done in his role and wished him great strength in his new appointment with the Michalovcebased 22nd Mech Bn, as from 1 April. Maj Martin Cvengroš, who had hitherto served as Chief of Staff, 11th Mech Bn Martin, took over as new deputy commander of the Martin-based battalion. ● As part of its command and specialist preparation and shooting training, the Military Police Unit Topoľčany (MPU Topoľčany) conducted a live firing exercise, using the SER 75 D COMPACT pistol. The military policemen also attended a theoretical part of training for drivers with the right of way. The training ended with driving practice and a driving skills test. In parallel, the unit commanders' training was centred on preparing equipment for summer-period operation. Members of MPU Topoľčany familiarized themselves with fire-fighting rules and viewed a presentation on the stages to deliver the unit at its higher and full readiness level.
Austrian ambassador's visit (April 3) SVK MOD State Secretary Miloš Koterec welcomed H.E. Josef Markus Wuketich, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Austria, who was accompanied by Austria’s new defence attaché, Nicolaus Rottenberger. The talks were dominated by bilateral military cooperation and V4 defence cooperation. Slovakia and Austria have actively cooperated in training with real chemical agents at the Zemianske Kostoľany Military Training Area. Members of the SVK Armed Forces have participated in specialist military courses at the Theresian Military Academy in Vienna. The Slovak officials offered cooperation in training Austria’s special purpose forces at the Training Centre Lešť and suggested possible cooperation with the SVK Armed Forces Academy. Moreover, the countries' common border provides an opportunity to forge cooperation even in the field of crisis management, especially in the case of natural disasters.
● On 1 April, the gates of the Training Battalion opened for 146 male and 3 female trainee soldiers in the preparatory state service to undertake basic military training. After successfully passing the entrance test and drawing equipment and supplies, the newcomers were assigned to training platoons and began their training immediately on the spot. Upon its successful completion they will take part in a passing out parade on 6 June. ● Western Front veterans of World War Two received pensions at the SVK MOD as a result of their engagement in the Western Resistance Movement. Each year military pensions are paid from the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund and British Soldiers Charity. This year, already for the 19th time, pensions were handed over to the surviving veterans by representatives of the Embassy of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Slovakia. The pensions were taken over by 2nd Lt (rtd) Štefan Miklánek and Col (rtd) Milan Píka, the last two living veterans of the Western Resistance Front. ● As part of a 4-day deployment of the Reconnaissance Company – 2nd Mechanized Brigade, Veľké Ozorovce Garrison Training Grounds hosted a coordination exercise involving members of the Recon Coy – 2nd Mech Bde and the National Centre EOD Nováky. The exercise was directed towards incident response of Explosive Ordnance Reconnaissance (EOR) teams operating under the Recon Coy. This allowed the Recon Coy to hone their skills in using the capabilities of EOR teams during their deployment period and to receive EOD members' precious lessons learned from military operations.
EUMC in session (April 4) The European Union’s Military Committee (EUMC) met at the level of CHODs in Thessaloniki, Greece, on 2 – 4 April, with Slovakia being represented by Maj Gen Miroslav Kocian, Chief of the Office of Military Representative of the Slovak Republic to NATO and EU. Members of the EUMC visited the Larissa-based Operation Headquarters (OHQ), which currently carries out tasks in favour of EUFOR CAR in the Central African Republic. The official programme also included a visit to the NEA SANTA Military Training Area, where also the HELBROC Battle Group Headquarters is based. This task force is on stand-by to meet the EU’s operational tasks from 1 January to 31 June 2014.
NATO LANDCOM commander visits Slovakia (April 3) The Commander of the NATO Allied Land Command (LANDCOM) in Izmir, Lt Gen Frederick Ben Hodges, visited the Slovak Republic on 2 – 3 April. In Bratislava, he was welcomed by SVK CHOD Lt Gen Peter Vojtek and briefed on the current situation, direction, and development of the SVK Armed Forces, with a focus on the Ground Forces. The delegation then took time to visit the Lešť Training Centre, where they saw exercising troops, viewed a predeployment training exercise of SVK service members to be deployed to ISAF, Afghanistan, a demonstration of training in mountainous terrain, a training session with the JACUB simulator while using different climbing techniques, and a seriously wounded person being transported
eBULLETIN MoD SR
over difficult terrain. The next day Lt Gen Hodges visited the Ground Forces Headquarters in Trenčín, where he met the key HQ personnel. Brigadier General Ondřej Novosad briefed the guest on the mission and structure of the Ground Forces, their priorities and decisive tasks that they had undertaken to perform this year. Lt Gen Hodges praised SVK service personnel for their commitment and high professionalism as demonstrated in ISAF in Afghanistan. He reminded that, in order to sustain capabilities and interoperability within NATO, it was necessary for NATO Member States to allocate adequate financial resources on defence. He went on to remark that savings could be achieved by joint procurement and capacity sharing.
March 31 - April 6, 2014