Minister of Defence announces 11th Literary Competition for students (16 October) SVK Minister of Defence Martin Glváč announced the 11th Literary Competition for secondary school and college students. This year they are invited to join the competition by sending their stories, compositions or essays on the theme: “Life in peace: A matter of course for us, the desire of all…”. The deadline for the entries to be forwarded by email to sutaz@mod.gov.sk is on 17 November 2015. “Even with regard to what’s going on in the world, we have selected a topic related to peace. Many take peace for granted, however, the current security situation leads us to ponder over it. That’s why it will be interesting to read about how the recent developments are perceived and looked on by students,” noted Minister of Defence Martin Glváč. The contributions to the competition, which are expected to be forwarded by the midnight of 17 November 2015, will be evaluated by an MOD committee who are to select 5 finalists in two categories of entry: college students and secondary school students. As part of the second round, the general public will be involved in voting on the results of the competition via the social networking site Facebook. By voting on the SVK MOD’s Facebook page, the public will pick the first three winners in each category of entry. The winners will receive financial rewards worth €400, €300, and €200. Entries for the competition, written either in a non-fictional journalist or fictional genre in the Slovak language, with the word count between 500 – 700 words, should be sent in one of the following formats – .doc, .docx or .odf, together with personal data (first name, surname, age, name of school, telephone number). The results of the competition will be released on 1 December 2015 on the official SVK MOD website at www.mosr.sk and the SVK MOD Facebook, where detailed information about the competition is available to the public. ● On 5 – 9 October, a Basic Course on Crisis Intervention via Negotiations was held on the premises of the Military Police Training and Canine Division Vlkanová-Hronsek. The course brought together military policemen, as well as psychologists from the SVK Armed Forces and the SVK MOD. Besides theory, the training incorporated also explanatory demonstrations and dealing with model situations. ● Members of the 1st Brigade undertook training in rail transport in the grounds of the railway station in the village of Ludanice on 13 – 14 October. Executed at six different workstations, the practical part was directed at providing security to rail transports by security staff and transport officials; rules and security measures; and ways of loading, securing on railway goods wagons and unloading of various types of equipment. A practical rehearsal of guiding wheeled vehicles onto railway goods wagons from both front and side loading/unloading ramps, and a rehearsal of building a universal steel loading/unloading ramp was executed as well.
New dean of AFA
(13 October) Slovak President Andrej Kiska appointed doc. Jozef Puttera as the new dean of the General Milan Rastislav Štefánik Armed Forces Academy (AFA). He succeeded the outgoing dean, Brig Gen Boris Ďurkech. “The Slovak Armed Forces need well-trained and welleducated military professionals. That’s why I am convinced that the Armed Forces Academy will, under the leadership of the new dean, always keep making advances and enhancing its credit at home and abroad,” said SVK Minister of Defence Martin Glváč. Among the most important short-term plans of Jozef Puttera, the new dean of AFA, is to complete the comprehensive accreditation process and the construction projects to upgrade AFA from the EU Structural Funds. “The longterm projects include optimizing the education system, whether that be in the form of academic tertiary education or training under the cadet programme,” said Jozef Puttera. The newly appointed dean of the Armed Forces Academy graduated from the Military Technical College and became a docent in the field of theoretical electrical engineering. In 2012, he assumed the post of Vice Dean for Education at the General Milan Rastislav Štefánik Armed Forces Academy in Liptovský Mikuláš. Jozef Puttera has taken part in providing solutions to a number of national and international projects. He is a co-author of three patents. His research and development papers have been published at national and international levels.
Visit in Sliač
(13 October) The Deputy Commander of the SVK AF, Col Vladimír Kováč, together with the Commander of the Tactical Wing Sliač, Col Vladimír Lisý, GS, and the Commander of the Command, Control and Surveillance Wing Zvolen, Col Miloš Mosný, GS, welcomed to Sliač members of the Committee on Defence of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, as well as members of the Committee on Defence and Security of the National Council of the Slovak Republic. During the visit, both delegations were accompanied by Maj Gen Pavel Macko. The guests viewed static displays of aircraft, a demonstration of flight simulators and aircraft, as well as control aircraft take-off within NATINAMDS.
● On 13 – 14 October, on the premises of Duklianske Barracks, members of the Bratislava Garrison Headquarters (BA GAR HQ) underwent a command-staff exercise aimed at practising dealing with the threat of internal unrests jeopardizing public order and the security of the State within domestic crisis management. ● SSgt Miroslav Jarkovský, Commander of the Mobile Communication and Information Systems Section of the Combat Service Support Company, was chosen from the NCO corps by a commission as the best soldier of Prešovbased Combat Service Support Battalion (CSS Battalion) in the 2015 training year. The best soldier of the CSS Battalion from the section-level corps for the 2015 training year is Cpl Anton Lazorík, weapons systems technician of the Repair and Maintenance Company. The winners will represent the CSS Battalion in selecting the best soldier of the section-level and NCO corps of the Combat Support Service Brigade Trenčín on 28 October. ● Cpl Peter Zachar, member of the SVK President’s Honour Guard, won the 3rd place in the + 120 kg weight category at the 21st International Powerlifting Danube Cup 2015 organized on 9 – 10 October in Imst, Austria. He surpassed his personal records in all disciplines, lifting a total of 800 kg. ● On 14 October, a Seminar on Defence and Military Aspects of Preparations of Global European Strategy was held in Brussels under the auspices of Luxembourg’s Presidency of the Council of the EU and under the guidance of Dutch-based Clingendael Institute and Belgian-based EGMONT Institute. The main speakers were A. Le Roy, Secretary General of the European External Action Service; W. Wosolsobe, Director of the EU Military Staff; and J. Domecq, Director of the European Defence Agency. They emphasized the important role the member states play in the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy.
On co-operation with USA
(14 October) Maj Gen Pavel Macko received Brig Gen Timothy Daugherty, Deputy Commander of the 4th Division of the U.S. Army in Europe (EUCOM/USAREUR). They exchanged lessons learned and experience obtained from the recently conducted Exercise Slovak Shield 2015, as part of which a U.S. military convoy of armoured vehicles, entitled Dragoon Crossing, crossed the territory of Slovakia. Other themes discussed were the possibility of U.S. troops participating in Slovak military exercises, future co-operation in the field of training, and participation of the U.S. Armed Forces in Exercise Slovak Shield 2016. The two generals expressed their satisfaction with the course of joint activities and agreed on the need to intensify mutual co-operation. Joint exercises facilitate interoperability which is important mainly in the light of the current security situation in Central Europe.
Exercise QUICK RESPONSE 2015 with EUFOR ALTHEA reserve units
www.mosr.sk/ebulletin/
(13 October) A military exercise, dubbed QUICK RESPONSE 2015, got underway in Camp Butmir, Sarajevo, involving EUFOR units, including the nearly 130 -strong Reserve Unit earmarked from the 11th Mechanized Battalion – “Captain Janko Francisci” Immediate Response Battalion based in Martin. The exercise was launched during an opening ceremony by Maj Gen Johann Luif, Commander EUFOR (COM EUFOR). He welcomed the exercising troops, especially the reserve platoons from Slovakia and the United Kingdom. In his opening remarks, he emphasized that reserve components constitute an important element which contributes to the strengthening of EUFOR capabilities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and hence to the preservation of a stable, safe and secure environment in the country. Members of the Slovak Reserve Company execute tasks within the EUFOR Multinational Battalion (EUFOR MNBN) along with
units from Hungary, the United Kingdom and Turkey, as well as personnel from Bulgaria, Austria and Romania. As part of the exercise, the MNBN exercised coordination with a unit of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the building of which belongs to the top priorities of the European Union Force Althea (EUFOR ALTHEA). The reserve units in support of Operation EUFOR ALTHEA were established following the reconfiguration of the EUFOR ALTHEA concept in Bosnia and Herzegovina, whereby only small-sized liaison and observation units now remain in place. The reserve units, being permanently based in their respective countries, allow the EUFOR ALTHEA Operation Commander to request their engagement in the event of increasing tensions. Their primary task is to maintain public order and to protect the EUFOR ALTHEA-constructed infrastructure.
eBULLETIN MoD SR
Planning conference
(14 October) The Training Planning Conference to coordinate processes and planning measures for training and exercises in 2016 and to issue instructions on the processing of documentation for the 2017 Training and Exercises Plan was held at the Strategic Planning Staff of the SVK General Staff on 14 October. The final session of the 2016 Training Planning Conference and the initial session of the 2017 Training Planning Conference brought together representatives of all SVK Armed Forces components.
October 12 - 18, 2015