The 13th Annual NATO Days Event Held in Ostrava
(September20) On Friday, the Minister of Defence of the SR Martin Glváč and the Czech Minister of Defence Vlastimil Picek signed in Ostrava the intergovernmental agreement on development of defence cooperation, which should eliminate legislative constraints so that the Aircraft Repair and Manufacturing Company in Trenčín may obtain commissions for repair of equipment from the Czech party. “I view the fact of executing the agreement effective as a testament to the special relationship between our countries. It will ensure increased cooperation in the field of defence,” said the Slovak Minister. Subject to the framework agreement, further cooperation should be encouraged mainly in the field of defence planning, military education, armaments, logistics, military medical services, military operations and exercises. According to the Minister, the Slovak surgery team will be deployed to Afghanistan to join the Czech medical unit in ISAF in 2014, which will further enhance mutual cooperation. During the collateral conference NATO Days in Ostrava, the Minister of Defence had negotiations with the Minister of Defence of the Republic of Croatia Ante Kotromanovič. The Director for Defence Policy at the Hungarian Ministry of Defence Péter Siklósi deputized for The Hungarian Minister of Defence Csaba Hende. Together they attended the conference aimed at the helicopter aviation. The 13th annual NATO Days event in Ostrava, held on 21 and 22 September 2013, was combined with the Days of the Air Force of the Army of the Czech Republic and with the international aviation industry exhibition FLYIN.
Meeting in Budapest
● In the presence of their colleagues from the transportation wing, a commemoration ceremony was held on 16 September, in the eve of the Aviation Day, to pay tribute to the pilots who tragically died in Kuchyňa and Záhorie. The commemorative ceremony was conducted by military chaplain Lieutenant Slavko Ganaj, with the Commander of the transportation wing Peter Prokop and Chief of Staff Lieutenant Colonel Tibor Pavel attending the ceremony.
(September16) The highest military representatives of the allied countries met in Budapest on 13 – 15 September to discuss the topical issues of regional security, operations, transformation of the Alliance and the issues of cooperation between the NATO Military Committee and the strategic commands. The delegation of the AF SS was headed by the Chief of the General Staff of the AF SR Lieutenant General Peter Vojtek, with the military representative of the SR to the NATO Military Committee Lieutenant General Peter Gajdoš being present at the negotiations. The participants were welcomed at the conference by the Minister of Defence of Hungary Csaba Hende. The negotiation was conducted by the Chair of the NATO Military Committee, the Danish General Knud Bartels, in the presence of the SACEUR, the American General Philip M. Breedlove, and the SACT, the French General Jean-Paul Paloméros, as well as ISAF commander, the American General Joseph F. Dunford, Jr.
● On 16 September, members of the 1st mechanized brigade in Topoľčany officially started the preparation for the exercise SLOVAK ENDEAVOR 2013. The aim was to introduce the topic to nearly 60 participants and to brief them on the tasks to be performed and goals to be met, to instruct them on the course of the exercise, on the organization structure, on specification of the exercise as to individual positions and to introduce individual workplaces and premises designated for the task performance within the stabilization operation.
Last Farewell to Ľubomír Igaz (September 18) In Par!zánske, the Minister of the SR Mar!n Glváč took part in the last goodbye ceremony held for the member of Military Police Ľubomír Igaz, who died on 12 September during the training in Lešť. He conveyed his hear%elt condolences to the surviving family and declared that the family would be the Þrst to be informed of the results of the inves!ga!on of the tragic event. “To this end, we will not publicize the par!al Þndings to the media,” he stressed. On 13 September, the Minister of Defence raised Ľubomír Igaz in memoriam to the rank of Master Sergeant and awarded him with the Gold Commemora!ve Medal of the Minister of Defence of the SR of the 1st Grade. The Director of Military Police awarded him with the Gold Medal of Military Police of the 1st Grade, The funeral rites and the solemn mass were celebrated by the Ordinary of the Armed Forces and Armed Corps of the Slovak Republic Mons. Fran!šek Rábek. In a Þnal farewell, the deceased soldier was given full military honours. Master Sergeant Ľubomír Igaz joined the Rapid reac!on ba&alion in Mar!n in May 2001, where he served un!l his deployment to ISAF opera!on in Afghanistan in 2008. In 2011 he was earmarked to perform the military police tasks and appointed as the senior inspector of the crisis management team of the Military Police Unit in Banská Bystrica.
● On 17 September, in the presence of the Commander of the Training and Support Forces Colonel Martin Stoklasa and other guests, the exhibition Club Activity 2013 opened in the garrison club in Trenčín, the event being the second initiative introducing to the wide public the best of the activities of clubs associated at the garrison club. These have nearly one thousand members altogether, the Club of military veterans with more than three hundred members being the largest one. The exhibition opens every day until the end of September, from 8.00 hrs to 18.00 hrs. ● On 18 September, in the premises of the Military transportation centre in Košice, a professional gathering of officials charged with the management of military transportation in VÚaZ AF SR was organized. The participants were briefed on the procedures with respect to the issuing of diplomatic permits and on the RSOM concept (Reception, Staging and Onward Movement), as well as on the changes in the system of planning the military railway transportation and movement in compliance with the Professional guidance of the Chief of the Staff of Operations Support on the planning and arrangement of railway military transportation, which guidance is currently being prepared. ● On Friday, 20 September, a graduation ceremony of the graduates of the initial non-commissioned officers’ course OR-5 was held in the Club of Non-Commissioned Officers’ Academy in Martin. The aim of the career course is to prepare military professionals in the rank of Corporal from the whole Armed Forces so that these can be subsequently promoted to the rank of Sergeant. The course ended last week with a conclusive exercise in the premises of the garrison training area Sučany at the foothills of Malá Fatra. When performing the tasks in the woodland terrain, the course participants had to cope with the challenge posed by our largest beasts of prey – bears.
Helping Syria (September16) The Slovak Republic is ready to provide experts in the field of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defence to join the UN international inspection teams, hence supporting the effort of the international community to gain control over the chemical weapons in Syria. “We are ready to provide our CBRN experts, depending on the requirements to be posed by the international community and on the further development in Syria,” stated the Minister of Defence of the SR Martin Glváč. Earmarking and declaring the unit in compliance with the commitments to the international organizations is one of the tasks of the Radiological, chemical and biological protection battalion in Rožňava.
● On 17 September, a parade was held on the occasion of the Day of the Slovak military aviation in the premises of the Air Force HQs of the AF SR, in the presence of the Commander Brigadier General Miroslav Korba. On this occasion, awards Military Aviator of Merit, Military Mechanic of Merit and Parachute Aviation Professional were handed out. The ceremonial assembly and parade of the members of the Air Force HQs and subordinate units were followed by the solemn ceremony at the Memorial of the Insurgent Pilots at the former airfield in Zolná.
Celebrations of the Day of the Armed Forces of the SR
Audience with Holy Father
www.mosr.sk/ebulletin/
The 8th na!onal pilgrimage of the Ordinariate of the Armed Forces and Armed Corps of the Slovak Republic to Rome and Va!can was held from 8 to 14 September, with 137 members of the AF and AC SR and their families taking part in the pilgrimage. The pilgrimage was led by the Ordinary of the AF and AC of the SR Bishop Mons. Fran!šek Rábek, with Þve members of the Guard of Honour of the President of the SR and the unit’s Commander Col. Miroslav Ištván being present. During the audience with the Holy Father Francis, the commander of the GoH of the President of the SR handed over a commemora!ve plaque to the Holy Father in the name of and on behalf of all the pilgrims.
(September 22) On Sunday, hundreds of people gathered in the M.R. Štefánik’s Square in Brezová pod Bradlom to commemorate the Day of the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic. In the presence of the Chief of the General Staff of the AF SR Lieutenant General Peter Vojtek, representatives of the Office of the President of the SR, commanders of the Operational Headquarters of the AF SR, members of the Club of Generals of the SR, Association of Soldiers of the SR, the War Veterans Union of the SR, the Slovak Union of Anti-fascist Fighters and other organizations, and other citizens, commemorative medals were awarded to the members of the Armed Forces of the SR who significantly contributed to the development of the AF SR during their 20 years’ history. The celebration continued at the Memorial of Hurban fights in Prietržská cesta,
eBULLETIN MoD SR
where the Chief of the GS AF SR Lieutenant General Peter Vojtek gave his address. On the occasion of the Day of the Armed Forces of the SR he paid tribute to the fifty five members of the AF SR who, during the 20 years of history of the Slovak Armed Forces, lost their lives while performing tasks in military missions abroad. He expressed his thanks to all the men and women at arms for everyday demanding and responsible work they carry out. The commemorative medals from the hands of the Chief of the GS AF SR were awarded to the reserve or retired generals and officers, who had put in a personal effort to the building of the Army of the SR and the Armed Forces of the SR. Among those awarded there were also the representatives of the unions, associations and non-profit organizations cooperating with the Armed Forces.
September 16 - 22, 2013