Slovak female commanders in Bosnia
(2 December) Currently, there are approximately 600 troops from 21 countries serving in the EUFOR — ALTHEA operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The position of troops from the SVK Armed Forces is particularly important, mainly with respect to the fact that Slovakia is a Lead Nation of the Coordination centre for liaison and observation teams (LOT), situated in seventeen LOT-houses. These are made of Austrian, Turkish, Swiss, Polish, Romanian, Chilean and Slovak troops. The nine Slovak teams serve in the three LOT-houses in Sarajevo, Foca and Visegrad. Their task is to monitor the security situation and collect information on potential sources of conflicts or unrest. The last rotation of the Slovak troops is, in comparison to the previous rotations, a unique one since the command posts in LOT-teams will be held, among others, by 1LT Katarína Pisáriková, 1LT Denisa Haasová, LT Mária Chasníková, LT Markéta Novosadová. Maj Estera Pásztorová will become Head of the Office at the ALTHEA HQs, which plans and organizes visits of the politicians, diplomats and military leaders. Maj Pásztorová relieves Maj Jaroslava Blažeková in this post.
Operation Resolute Support
(5 December) The Slovak Republic will engage in the new non-combat NATO operation in Afghanistan dubbed Resolute Support. From 1 January 2015, 66 Slovak troops will start operating in the operation. The proposed mandate for the members of the SVK Armed Forces must be endorsed by the SVK Government and SVK National Council. “Yet back at the NATO Summit in Wales we declared that we intended to continue to contribute to the stabilization process in Afghanistan, because Slovakia is a responsible member of the Alliance. And hereby we adhere to this commitment,” said SVK Minister of Defence Martin Glváč. On 28 November 2014, the North Atlantic Alliance endorsed a decision on starting the operation Resolute Support. By its nature, it will be different from the previous ISAF operation, namely in that it will focus on training, mentoring and assistance to be provided for the Afghan security forces, and primarily on non-combat operations. SVK Armed Forces’ engagement should comply with NATO requirements and with the national priorities in the field of deployment of the armed forces’ capabilities. If the mandate is approved in the legislation process substantially in the proposed form, the Slovak contribution will be as follows: Special Forces, officers serving in the command structures of the operation, ROLE 1 and 2 contributions to hospitals, national support element and signals’ capabilities of the Deployable Communication and Information Systems Module (DCM-C). The Slovak troops are supposed to serve in the newly launched operation until its termination. All the costs will be covered from the defence budget.
● Based on the requirements of the Red Cross’s regional branch in Foča, Bosnia, and thanks to the co-operation among the SVK defence, interior and foreign affairs ministries and SVK soldiers serving with EUFOR ALTHEA, humanitarian aid was delivered from Slovakia to Foča on 3 December. The activity was coordinated by the SVK Armed Forces and Armed Corps Ecumenical Pastoral Service Office. ● As part of their basic military training on 17 – 28 November, 158 trainee soldiers in the preparatory state service deployed to the Lešť Training Centre where they underwent prescribed marksmanship drills, which marked the culmination of their marksmanship training phase. This will be followed by the tactical drills phase, featuring a 24-hour tactical exercise at the Sučany Garrison Training Area on 8 – 9 December. Upon successful completion of the final training exercise, the trainee soldiers will take a military oath on 12 December. ● On 10 – 30 November, members of the Police Enforcement Division Prešov provided force protection for members of an EOD course which was underway at the Training Battalion Martin. Apart from the official programme, members of Ukraine’s State Emergency Service paid a visit to the Police Corps’ Criminal Investigation and Expertise Institute in Slovenská Ľupča and received a tour of the Slovak National Uprising Museum in Banská Bystrica. ● On 25 – 27 November, the Support Battalion members’ theoretical and practical basic combat skills were put to the test at the Combined Wing Sliač, aimed at testing individual soldiers and small teams on their tactical, shooting, engineering, first aid and CBRN skills. A total of 40 professional soldiers took part in the training exercise.
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(4 December) As part of his working program, SVK President and Commander-in-Chief of the SVK Armed Forces Andrej Kiska made a visit to the Maj Gen Otto Smik Combined Wing Sliač. He was welcomed by SVK Chief of the General Staff Lt Gen Milan Maxim, SVK Air Force Commander Brig Gen Miroslav Korba and the Wing Commander Col Vladimír Lisý. They introduced the role, main tasks and structure of the Air Forces to the President. With respect to the information provided, the President asked for more detailed information on the performance of tasks at ensuring the continuous protection of the air space of the Alliance within the NATO Integrated Air and Missile Defence System (NATINAMDS) and on the RENEGADE concept, stipulating strategies to be employed in the case of intervention against an intruder violating the air space. The President evinced interest in the tasks linked with the usage of Mi-17 helicopters within the national crisis management. Under the lead of Warrant Officer Miroslav Bujňák, Chief of the Parachute and Rescue Service from Sliač Air-Base, President Kiska underwent a parachute and rescue preparation. At the end of the visit, he made an entry to the Chronicle of the unit, acknowledging the members of the SVK Air Force for an excellent performance of the tasks.
On 1 December, Maj Gen Pavel Macko, 2nd Vice Chief of the General Staff, met with representatives of the Austrian Peacekeepers Association, led by General (Retd) Günther Greindl. The meeting was also attended by representatives of the UN Veterans Slovakia, a partner peacekeepers association in Slovakia. During an award ceremony in the Hall of Honour and Fame, Maj Gen Pavel Macko presented the SVK Chief of Defence Commemorative Badge to General Greindl in recognition of his long-term contribution to strengthening cooperation and building peace.
● In early 2015, Military Ordinary Mons František Rábek will convene the first Diocesan Synod of the SVK Armed Forces and Armed Corps Ordinariate – an assembly of priests, friars and lay believers in the Diocese. For this purpose, Mons Rábek set up a preparatory committee for the Diocesan Synod. The decree on convening the synod will be officially released on 20 January 2015 on the occasion of Saint Sebastian Day at the Cathedral of Saint Sebastian in Bratislava. ● Elementary school pupils from Palín, Michalovce, sent dozens of Christmas greetings with the thematic drawings of Christmas, soldiers and peace to SVK service personnel deployed as part of EUFOR – ALTHEA in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The X-mas greetings were delivered to Sarajevo by Lt Dávid Vargaeštok, Director of the SVK Armed Forces Ecumenical Pastoral Service Office.
Presidential visit to Sliač
Peacekeepers at SVK MOD
● The SVK Land Forces Headquarters (SVK LF HQ) set up its own parish on 2 December. The parish will be headed by its parish priest, Lt Col Juraj Sitáš, the hitherto dean of the SVK LF HQ. To mark the occasion, Slovak Land Forces Commander Brig Gen Ondřej Novosad, SVK LF HQ representatives, chaplains from subordinated military units and other members of the parish came together at the SVK LF HQ Chapel to attend the Holy Mass celebrated by Mons František Rábek, Ordinary of the SVK Armed Forces and Armed Corps. The newly established parish was consecrated to Saint Francis of Assisi.
Exercise Cyber Coalition
The hitherto largest cyber security exercise, codenamed NATO Cyber Coalition 2014, took place on 17 – 21 November. A total of 28 countries worldwide with over 600 exercising troops participated in the exercise. The simulated geopolitical exercise scenario saw chronologically developing situations and conflicts unfolding between fictitious countries. The scenario covered events ranging from attacks on mobile facilities, through to soldiers’ personal data and sensitive information theft and breach of the air operations control system. On behalf of the Slovak Republic, the exercise was co-ordinated by the National Security Office, which acted as a point of contact with NATO. Among the active exercise participants were members of the newly established CSIRT.MIL unit and other members of the Stationary CIS Base Trenčín working as a technical team of the SVK MOD.
Ukrainians on a manual mine-clearance course in Slovakia On 4 December, the training of Ukrainian armed forces personnel culminated at the Military Technical Testing Institute Záhorie (MTTI Záhorie), geared towards manual demining missions. The initiative is a demonstration of the practical assistance to our eastern neighbour to which our country committed itself at the NATO Wales Summit, which was confirmed by SVK Minister of Defence Martin Glváč during his recent meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart. The exercise aimed to train the course participants in marking dangerous areas and explosive ordnance reconnaissance. Also, members of
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Ukrainian police units practised the procedures for mine and unexploded ordnance clearance. As part of their training in Slovakia, they first attended a three-week theoretical training programme at the Training Battalion Martin, before improving their practical skills during a week-long exercise. This included clearing unexploded ordnance from designated areas, explosive devices and booby traps from roads and buildings, and minefields containing anti-personnel and anti-tank mines. The course is an outcome of the joint effort of MTTI Záhorie, Engineer Battalion Sereď, Engineer Company Michalovce, EOD National Centre Nováky, International CoE EOD Trenčín, and Criminal Investigation and Expertise Institute operating under the Police Corps Presidium.
December 1 - 7, 2014