Welcome to homecoming troops in Nitra (27 March) In the premises of Nitra-based Anti-aircraft missile brigade, a ceremonial parade was held on the occasion of the homecoming of the members of the SVK Armed Forces who had served in the UNFICYP peacekeeping mission, in the UN observer mission UNTSO and in the OSCE observer mission in Georgia. The ceremony was graced with the presence of Chief of the SVK General Staff Lt Gen Milan Maxim, SVK Air Force Commander Brig Gen Miroslav Korba and other invited guests. Chief of the SVK General Staff, SVK Air Force Commander and Commander of the Anti-aircraft missile brigade handed over Medals for Service in the peacekeeping observer missions to 82 soldiers and Badges of War Veterans to 50 soldiers. Moreover, six soldiers were presented with special gifts from Chief of the SVK General Staff.
● On the last day of March, the Bratislava Garrison HQ (BaGHQ) bid farewell to three of their colleagues. Jarmila Sýkorová has quit after two decades of employment; Capt Vladimír Tóth, Chief of the Operations, Emergency and Combat Alert Group, has ended his career in the SVK Armed Forces; and Capt František Fecko, Chief of the Personal Support Group, had been relocated to the Military Unit 5728 Martin. BaGHQ Deputy Commander Lt Col Roman Grnáč expressed his gratitude and presented them with letters of thanks and keepsake gifts.
Tribute to veterans
(1 April) On Wednesday, the ceremonial medal award to the participants of the national liberation struggle was held in Trnava on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Slovak National Uprising and end of World War II. In the Theatre of Ján Palárik, the medals were presented, on behalf and in the name of the Minister of Defence, to the fourteen direct participants of the resistance movement. As for the next forty veterans, who were unable to attend the ceremony due to the advanced age, the medals were taken over by their relatives. “It is very touching for me that, thanks to the Ministry of Defence, we are not forgotten and I would like to believe that the other politicians and mass media will also take interest in informing the public of the anti-fascist resistance because it is necessary to foster awareness about the war, in particular among the young people,” said one of the awarded, the 92year-old Igor Viliam Kasanický, the participant of the Slovak National Uprising.
Prolific cooperation
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(30 March) The 1st Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the SVK Armed Forces Lt Gen Peter Gajdoš met with the 1st Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Army of the Czech Republic Lt Gen Josef Bečvář. Among the issues raised during their working negotiation was transformation of the SVK Armed Forces, defence planning and mutual cooperation of the respective armed forces. Lt Gen Gajdoš emphasized the abovestandard cooperation between the SVK Armed Forces and the Army of the Czech Republic and confirmed that the SVK Armed Forces are determined to further strengthen such cooperation, mainly in the field of cross-border cooperation with respect to the safeguarding of the airspace, or in the field of joint exercises. Lt Gen Bečvář also met with SVK Chief of Defence Lt Gen Milan Maxim. The visit of Josef Bečvář was his last in his capacity as 1st Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Army of the Czech Republic since on 30 April he will take over the post of Chief of the General Staff, vacated by the Army General Peter Pavel, who was elected as a new chairman of NATO Military Committee.
● On 26 March, staff members of the Mobile Communication and Information Systems Base participated in a basic combat skills comprehensive testing – tactical, medical, topographical preparations and CBRN protection, organized at the Kaleník Military Training Area. The employment tested performance of commanders as well as individuals, overall readiness and team cooperation of professional soldiers. ● The final training of soldiers earmarked for the operation Resolute Support in Afghanistan was organized by the 2nd Mechanized Battalion Nitra. After a two-week training, the participants concluded the preparation by a staff drill, which tested professional and language readiness of soldiers for performing tasks in an international environment. On Monday 30 March, soldiers enlisted in the training passed final oral examinations in Nitra. Prior to the deployment to Afghanistan, they will undergo refresher training as well. ● On 27 March, a passing-out parade of the attendants of the OR-5 Non-Commissioned Officers’ Course took place at the Non-Commissioned Officers’ Club of the SVK Land Forces Training Battalion. 35 soldiers joined the course on 9 February, and, after the initial testing aimed at combined arms preparation and physical fitness, only 29 of them continued, out of which 6 were women. The knowledge and skills they achieved were tested by the final exercise held at the Garrison Training Area in Sučany. Cpl Martin Szúdor of the 12th Mechanized Battalion Nitra, who was proclaimed the best serviceman in the enlisted soldiers’ category for the training year 2014, has become the best course participant. ● Members of the Slovak Liaison and Observation Team (LOT) in Foča (BiH) in the operation EUFOR ALTHEA organized a Fund Raising Event directed at support of the Red Cross regional organization with the aim of providing basic needs for a young family, which, through no fault of their own, had found itself in a social distress. LOT Foča Commander Maj Jozef Trochan and Team Commander Capt Andrej Kukla handed over the collected money to the family from the village of Popov Most.
Bestowal of temporary ranks
(31 March) A ceremonial muster of the Military Police members took place on the occasion of the personnel order of the SVK Minister of Defence on the bestowal of temporary ranks. On 1 April, for the period of their stay in office, military ranks were bestowed upon the following members of the Military Police: ● Maj Ivan Viselka, director of the Operations and Military Activities Division – rank “Colonel” ● Maj Marián Turanský, director of the Training and Cynology Division – rank “Lieutenant Colonel” ● Maj Miloš Soliar, head of the Operations Section – rank “Lieutenant Colonel” ● Capt Jozef Dudáš, head of the Logistics Section – rank “Major” ● Capt Pavol Sálus, head of the Training Section – rank “Major” ● 1st Lt Robert Beták, head of the Protection and Escort of Persons Section – rank “Captain”.
Guardian Angels for Special Forces
The members of the 5th Special Forces Regiment currently serving in the operation Resolute Support in Afghanistan were taken by surprise in the pre-Easter period when they received drawings from the children from the partner St. Joseph Church Kindergarten in Pezinok, depicting guardian angels. “We send best regards to you all to the far-off land and at the same time, we send the guardian angels to protect and guide you in your extremely challenging and often even dangerous work,” they wrote. It was Lt Col Pavel Švelka, the present-day commander of the SVK contingent to Afghanistan, who came up with the incentive to establish the partnership with the Kindergarten. As a messenger, the children from the Kindergarten employed SVK ChoD Lt Gen Milan Maxim, who handed the guardian angels to the troops from Žilina Regiment on his recent visit to Afghanistan.
Preparations for multinational exercise Compact Eagle 2015 (2 April) The multinational military police battalion (MNMPBAT) is able and ready to operate and perform tactical tasks in all ongoing military operations. It has declared its capabilities in several exercises and meetings of the working groups, particularly with respect to the peacekeeping operations. What can be viewed as the most notable success was a real-life deployment of the selected elements in the international crisis management environment (ISAF operation). In the last training period of 2015, MNMPBAT will take part in the multinational exercise Compact Eagle 2015. The exercise will be directed by the Multinational
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Corps North-East (MNC NE) Szczecin, the Republic of Poland. The main role of MNMPBAT will be to develop an operational plan of deployment of forces and assets in the high intensity operations. On 23 – 27 March, the intelligence workshop was held, attended by chiefs of intelligence groups and sections of all the units participating in the exercise. Slovakia was represented by Capt Marek Kostúrik (Training and Cynology Division Vlkanová – Hronsek). The units from Poland, Germany, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Latvia will take part in the exercise.
March 30 - April 5, 2015