Slovak Soldiers Won Sports Trophy In Afghanistan Slovak troops, operating in the 18th ISAF rotation in Afghanistan, won a trophy in the fifth KAFCUP 2012 international mini-soccer tournament held at the KAF base. Sixteen teams from all the participating countries - represented at the largest NATO military base in the world - took part in the tournament held under the aegis of the KAF Commander and organized annually by the USO, an international NGO supporting troops in missions. For the second time in the history of the tournament the Slovak team comprised of members of the KAF guard unit from the 2nd Mechanized Brigade, came first. The soccer Dream Team consisted of Lt. Matúš Demčák, Staff Sergeants Pavol Viňanský, Ľubomír Gorecký, and Miroslav Potocký, Corporals Roman Oláh, Martin Marchevský and Peter Feldeš, Lance Corporals Michal Šurim, Jozef Širotňák, private Rastislav Sokol. Hats off to all the members of the 18th ISAF rotation, who still find the time and energy to represent their home country following 12-hour working days filled with difficult tasks in demanding climatic conditions!
Mandate Change Approved by the Government (July 18) The Slovak Government approved the MoD´s dra to change the mandate of our forces in the ISAF opera on in Afghanistan. According to the proposal - , yet to be approved by the Parliament - Slovakia should gradually withdraw up to 289 soldiers from the ISAF opera on by June 2013. By the end of this year the MoD proposes to withdraw our engineers (except for a 6-member logis cs team, which should be placed under the Na onal Support Element command) from the Kandahar interna onal military base; as well as to withdraw 53 members of the guard unit at the Tarin Kowt base in the Uruzgan province. Furthermore, by April 2013 Slovakia plans to withdraw 20 members of the special opera ons unit, who fulfil tasks of training, mentoring and suppor ng Afghan Na onal Security Forces. By June 2013 the aim is to withdraw the guard unit (165 soldiers) from the Kandahar base.
● High professionalism, determination and enthusiasm for flying – these terms would best describe the Italian aerobatic team Frecce Tricolori, which is among the top attractions of the 2012 Slovak International Air Fest in Sliač. Freece Tricolori performance is a display of exquisite aerobatics and superb flying skills. Nothing is left to chance - full attention is being paid to preparations. One of the reasons why Brig. Gen. Roberto Azzolin, Military Attaché of the Italian Embassy in Vienna, visited the Sliač airbase was to verify in person, whether everything was in place for the arrival of the “tri-color Arrows”.
● On July 18, the Commander of the Training and Support Forces Brig. Gen. Ľubomír Svoboda visited the Military Training Battalion in Martin. The Battalion´s commander Lt. Col. Roman Petrík informed his superior about his unit´s main tasks, organizational structure, dislocation, training and support units and field offices. ● The Military Training Battalion in Martin organized a field trip for children from the Náruč Čadca consultancy and training center. On July 19 the garrison of the 4th Czechoslovak Brigade prepared an exhibition of small arms and communication equipment used by the Slovak Armed Forces. Selected items of air defense and electronic surveillance equipment were also on display. The children were given an opportunity to fire the submachine gun model 58 on the ST-94/95 shooting simulator and to shoot at flying targets using the STRELA S-2M simulator. Also exhibited were simulators for the T-72 tank and BVP-1 and –2 APC armed personnel carriers.
Americans Train In Prešov and Kuchyňa The main goal of the joint Slovak-American exercise called JCET (Joint Combined Exchange Training), taking place July 2 - 17 at the Prešov and Kuchyňa airbases , was to exchange experiences between small air units. In the course of the exercise, members of Slovak and the U.S. Air Force had a unique opportunity to exchange experience and gain new knowledge in the area of pre-flighting and maintaining the aircraft, and procedures pertaining to ground technical personnel while working on aircraft. They also exchanged valuable information on how airmen prepare for missions, including planning and executing missions supporting special operations using helicopters and transport aircraft. Theoretical training consisted of presentations and subsequent discussions, with focus placed on crew collaboration during tactical maneuvers at night, sharing information on increased flight safety, and on first-aid assistance in case of emergencies, with participation of medical personnel stationed at airbases.
eBULLETIN
(July 17) Bilateral cooperation in defense between Slovakia and Austria was the main topic of a meeting between the Chief of the General Staff of the Slovak Republic Lt. Gen. Peter Vojtek with his counterpart from the Austrian Bundesheer Gen. Edmund Entacher, held in Vienna.
● On July 17, 2012, the commission charged with evaluating the further use of MOKYS containers met at the Mobile Communication and Information Systems base (ZaMKIS) in Ružomberok to assess the utilization of the Tatra 6x6 vehicles. The meeting, headed by Karol Morávek from the MoD research and testing institute (VTSÚ) Záhorie, brought together representatives from the General Staff´s Staff for Operation Support, SCMM Trenčín, Military Police Directorship, the MoD´s Armament Department and ZaMKIS Ružomberok officials. Following the session, the commission carried out a physical inspection of the vehicles. The final proposal for the vehicles´ utilization shall be drafted in the near future, in order to achieve maximum effectiveness in public spending. ● On Tuesday, July 17, 2012, at the request of the Mayor of Lažany engineers from the Michalovce Garrison relocated the temporary steel bridge that served the municipality since June 2011 as a temporary solution after the original bridge had been damaged by floods. Following repairs carried out on the original bridge, the mayor gave neighboring municipalities an opportunity to borrow the AM-50 bridge deck, currently in the ownership of Lažany. The mayor of the nearby municipality of Chmiňany took advantage of the offer. The relocation was carried out by a team led by Staff Sergeant Ján Spišák, using the T813/AM-50 automated bridge layer .
“We stand by our commitment: In together, out together,” said Defense Minister Mar n Glváč. “Of course, we are ge ng ready to fulfill other tasks, which await us a er 2014. Following agreement with our partners and in line with what NATO requires us to do, we have pledged to deploy troops specializing in training and transferring skills to the Afghan Security Forces. However, this is all under prepara on and we are discussing it with our partners.” With respect to handing over responsibility for the security of the country to Afghan forces, the MoD has proposed to send to ISAF up to 18 soldiers from September 2012: a 4-member Military Police training team, up to 8 soldiers to various ISAF commands, and a 6-member military advisory team to train Afghan Na onal Army troops.
Pooling and Sharing with Austria
Ministry of Defense
The aim of the talks was to evaluate the current state of bilateral cooperation, to discuss its perspectives, and to assess the possibilities for regional cooperation, primarily within the V4 group. The debate also touched on the current participation of Slovak troops in international operations and our intentions for the future, as well as on the cooperation of NATO member states as a part of the Pooling and Sharing and Smart Defense initiatives.
Remembering Štefánik (July 21) State Secretary Miloš Koterec attended a commemorative event held at Košariská on the occasion of the 132nd birth anniversary of Gen. M. R. Štefánik. Together with the Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Peter Vojtek, they laid wreaths in front of the Štefánik´s bust mounted on the wall of the former Evangelical parish building - the birthplace of Štefánik. Members of the Parliament, mayors from the surrounding municipalities, representatives of the civil society, soldiers and representatives of Paulhan - Košariská´s partner town in in France - were present as well. “Štefánik´s importance lies not only in his contribution to the birth of the first common state of Czechs and Slovaks, but also in the fact that he was the first Slovak figure, whose diplomacy significantly influenced modern European history,” said Koterec.
On Military Retirement Pay The topic of military re rement payments and their indexa on (or rather the abolishment thereof) hit a raw nerve. A er the Slovak Parliament passed a law sta ng that this year the pensions of soldiers and policemen will have to do without indexa on, the MoD has faced a dilemma: on one hand there is obvious injus ce of such act, on the other hand it is a fact that the system - in its current form - is unsustainable in the long term. If we fail to come up with a change now, there will simply be no funds le in a few years to pay the pensions! For more on this topic read the August issue of the OBRANA magazine.
July 6 - 22, 2012