Minister Glváč attends D-Day celebrations in Normandy (6 June) SVK Minister of Defence Martin Glváč attended the celebrations held to mark the 70th anniversary of the Normandy landings. He arrived in France as a member of delegation of the SVK President Ivan Gašparovič, accompanied by two Slovak veterans, the 89-yearold Ondrej Bubniak and the 92-year-old Štefan Miklánek. “The landing of the Allied troops on the Normandy coast was the biggest amphibious attack in military history, and is viewed as a triumph of coordination of the Allied forces in their fight for freedom and democracy during WWII and one of the largest Allied coordinated successes to date,” said SVK Minister Martin Glváč. The celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Normandy landings was held on the SWORD beach, which is a symbol of remembrance of the 177-strong French battalion, which, as the only French ground unit, took part in the battles on the Normandy coast, fighting side by side with the British troops. The operation Overlord was in France commemorated by presidents, defence ministers, ministers of foreign affairs and several great world statesmen, to include the British Queen Elizabeth II. ● Personnel office of the SVK Armed Forces, Section of educational and cultural activities, announces the defence department’s competition shows FotoAtak, Litera, VideoAtak and Gallery MIL, targeted at professional soldiers and their dependents, at retired military personnel and veterans who engage in creative activities. The deadline with respect to the competition shows is 15 October 2014 and results will be announced on 6 November 2014. ● By taking a military oath and by a graduation ceremony, 145 new professional soldiers completed their preparation for service in the SVK Armed Forces on 6 June in Martin-based Training battalion. The ceremony was graced with the presence of SVK Chief of the Defence Staff Lieutenant General Milan Maxim, Training and Support Forces’ Commander Colonel Martin Stoklasa, Chief NCO of the SVK Armed Forces Sergeant Major Vladimír Beluš and other guests. 1st Degree Private Martin Jamriška was awarded as the best graduate of the basic military training.
V4 reckons with Ukraine (3 June) A mee ng of V4 defence ministers could be held in the future even with the par cipa on of the Ukrainian Minister of Defence. This was suggested by SVK Minister of Defence Mar n Glváč during a mee ng with his counterparts from the Visegrad 4 Group in Brussels prior to the official session of NATO defence ministers. Defence ministers from Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and the Polish State Under-Secretary confirmed their interest in Ukraine joining the V4 Ba le Group. “Together we could discuss more forms of cooperaon, not only Ukraine's par cipa on in the V4 Ba le Group, on which we had agreed,” said Minister Glváč. According to the Polish Under-Secretary of State for Defence Robert Kupiecki, coopera on with Ukraine within the V4 Ba le Group is also a signal for the European Union. Hungarian Minister of Defence Csaba Hende informed that discussions on the capabili es that Ukraine could contribute to the Ba le Group had already been held. The importance of the joint project of the V4 Ba le Group was also confirmed by Czech Minister Mar n Stropnický. “This project is a priority for us,” he emphasized. At the mee ng, representa ves of the defence ministries expressed their interest in linking the V4 Ba le Group's cer fica on exercise to NATO Exercise Trident Juncture 2015. At the mee ng, Defence Minister Glváč thanked Hungary for its V4 chairmanship and declared his interest to con nuously build on today's successful coopera on. During the Slovak chairmanship, which began on 1 July 2014, a joint plan of exercises for V4 countries should be worked out.
● At the ceremonial parade of Slovak troops who served in EUFOR ALTHEA operation, Chief of Staff of said operation Brigadier General András Szücs conveyed his thanks and appreciation to the soldiers for an excellent performance of tasks and awarded 13 members of the SVK Armed Forces with EUFOR ALTHEA Mission Service Medals. Among the invited guests was also Viktor Borecký, Deputy Head of Mission of the Slovak Republic in Bosnia and Herzegovina, who appreciated the effort of the members of the SLOVCON ALTHEA. ● On Monday, 2 June, a candidate selection process started in the 5th Special Forces Regiment. The selection criteria are really challenging, and six candidates dropped out already in the initial stage of the selection. They failed to meet the required standards during the initial testing of physical performance. By 6 June, the number of candidates has dropped to 18. ● A natural disaster struck the ammunition store based in Poprad. The wind broke and uprooted tress near the outer fence, hence damaging it approximately on 500 metres. Called upon to assist the members of the ammunition store with the removing of consequences of the disaster were troops from the logistic support battalion of the 2nd mechanized brigade Prešov, troops from the engineering company Michalovce and troops from the mixed mechanized battalion Trebišov. In the Tatra region, a group of 12 soldiers performed tasks in co-ordination with the members of the ammunition store Poprad, with the materiel support of the operation centre SPO Prešov. ● On 4 June, Lieutenant General Milan Maxim made a visit to the Command HQ of the SVK Air Force in Zvolen. Commander of the Air Force Brigadier General Miroslav Korba introduced the role, tasks and organizational structure of the Air Force, and informed ChoD of the current state of performance of tasks. The program continued in the command, control and reconnaissance brigade. Chief of Defence made also a visit to the mixed wing Sliač, where he was welcomed by the wing commander Colonel Vladimír Lisý. ● On 5 June, on the premises of the Garrison Club Trenčín, in the presence of Colonel of the General Staff Martin Stoklasa, Training and Support Forces Commander, an exhibition dubbed 100 YEARS AFTER WAR was opened. Through historical documents, photographs, correspondence, military awards, badges and medals, it reminds the period of WWI. Curator of the exhibition is Lt. Col. (Ret.) Ing. Karol Milan. The exhibition is open daily from 9.00 hrs to 17.00 hrs, until 30 June.
We are ready to make Lešť available (3 June) The Slovak Republic is ready to make Lešť available for training of NATO member states. Defence Minister Martin Glváč informed of this his ministerial colleagues at the meeting in Brussels. “Our contribution is also Lešť AFB, which is permanently available for collective defence tasks, as well as our infrastructure, logistics and education capacities as well as other training facilities,” he said. The Ministers negotiated with the Russian Minister of Defence Mikhail Koval. “He clarified his opinion on the actual situation and appreciated the positions of individual countries,” said Minister Glváč. He reminded of the humanitarian aid for Slovakia as well as of the deployment of OSCE observers and provision of reverse gas flow. “The position of all states remains the same: we reject the forceful annexation of Crimea to Russia,” emphasized the Minister. The ministers also focused on defence budgets. The Alliance is appealing on the investment of 2 per cent GDP on defence as well as on allotting 20 per cent from allotted budgets on modernization and armaments. “We are taking this direction and over the past two years we have doubled the volume of funds on modernization,” concluded Minister of Defence Martin Glváč.
Ambassadors meeting with M. Maxim (3 June) Chief of the Defence Staff of the SVK Armed Forces Lieutenant General Milan maxim met on 3 June with the Ambassador of the Czech Republic to the Slovak Republic Lívia Klausová. Present at their meeting was also the Czech Defence Attaché to the Slovak Republic Colonel Roman Kopřiva. He had the first official bilateral meeting with the US Ambassador Theodore Sedgwick, with the US Defence Attaché Lt. Col. Matthew D. Atkins being present at the meeting as well. SVK Chief of Defence received also the Ambassador of the Republic of France Didier Lopinot and the Defence Attaché Colonel Christine Chaulieu. Lieutenant Colonel Maxim thanks them for their congratulation on his appointment as Chief of the Defence Staff of the SVK Armed Forces. He expressed his belief in effective and successful cooperation in the future.
M. Glváč: We do not wish to lose experienced professionals, soldiers will be allowed to serve longer
www.mosr.sk/ebulletin/
(4 June) Professional soldiers will be able to serve in the SVK Armed Forces longer. This follows from the State Service of Professional Soldiers Draft Act, which was approved by the government on Thursday, 4 June. The Ministry of Defence does not wish to continue to lose trained, experienced and wellprepared soldiers. “By changes that we have prepared we want to demonstrate to soldiers that we respect their work and experience and the soldier´s profession may be a lifelong job,” said the Minister of Defence Martin Glváč. Permanent state service is being introduced as a new type of the state service of professional soldiers. Professional soldiers will get higher salaries for the entire duration of service and also extended will be the pay scale by two more degrees. On the other hand, the military retirement benefits, they will be allowed to SVK Armed Forces do not wish to have soldiers who retire at their personal request and the Service Office are not interested in the service. Upon entitlement to will be obliged to approve of their request.
eBULLETIN MoD SR
The Act introduces new regulations of shaping the state career, which will reinforce the powers of commanders in promoting service personnel. Under the new circumstances, the unpopular competitive job selection will replace the current control system of service career. A so-called military specialization guarantor, one which will better follow the career of soldiers in their specialization, will be introduced. Care will be extended by incorporating specialized medical care and a new type of preventive rehabilitation. Besides a two-week recreational stay and treatment stay in the duration of three weeks, there will be a preventive rehabilitation in the form of two-week active rest. Novelties will also touch on rank categories. Military warrant officer ranks will be transformed into the non-commissioned officers' corps. The Act should enter into validity at the beginning of 2015.
June 2 - 8, 2014