Minister Congratulated Martikán
Saving VOP Nováky (July 31) The MoD is looking for a strategic partner for a joint venture in the Nováky Military Repair Works (VOP). The search will take a form of a public tender, said the Defense Minister Martin Glváč after a meeting with VOP Nováky employees. “I am convinced now that the roadmap we have drawn three months ago is the right solution. Firstly - we want to preserve the state ownership of the company; secondly - we want the lease to cover the restructuring costs; and thirdly - we need to look after the employees, as we have promised in the past,” said Glváč. As he pointed out further, a company with a good acquisition program “is capable of financing itself”, as the experience from 2010 has shown. The unfavorable situation as it is now is partly due to bad political decisions made in 2011, when the MoD failed to provide VOP Nováky with sufficient orders, thus starting the restructuring process. “Bad judgment calls on the part of the former Defense Minister and the company´s leadership had caused insecurity among the suppliers that in turn forced the company to pay for everything in cash, which it lacked,” said Glváč, reiterating that the goal of the current VOP Nováky leadership is to work conceptually to guarantee the functionality of the company, as well as the ownership structure and employment.
(July 31) Defense Minister Martin Glváč phoned Michal Martikán in London to congratulate him on the bronze medal he won in water slalom. Glváč also conveyed a congratulation from the Prime Minister Robert Fico. Martikán who represented Dukla Banská Bystrica Military Sports Center won his fifth Olympic medal in London. “Martikán´s success is the triumph for the whole Slovak Republic. I am proud that a sportsman from Dukla Banská Bystrica won such a priced trophy in a most prestigious sports event in the world - the Olympic Games,” said Glváč. In the phone call Defense Minister told Martikán that it is the duty of excellent sportsmen, such as Michal Martikán, to pass their experiences to the next generation, thus helping raise “new talents similar to their own.” Glváč also added that there is a surprise waiting for Michal at the Defense Ministry. ● On August 2, the theatre room of the Trenčín garrison club welcomed Defense Minister Martin Glváč for the meeting with professional soldiers from various units belonging to the Trenčín garrison. Minister Glváč and the Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Peter Vojtek informed the soldiers on the proposed changes to the Act No.346/2005 Coll. on the State Service of Professional Soldiers, and to the Act No. 328/2002 Coll. on Social Security of Policemen and Soldiers.
● July 31,2012 and August 1, 2012 marked the 1st phase of taking the delivery of the Land Rover DEFENDER 110 vehicles within the frame of the “Small Terrain Vehicle” project. Members of the VU 9994 Nemšová unit took the delivery of 30 vehicles and a set of spare parts. All vehicles will be stored at VÚ 9994 Nemšová until the time of their delivery to the designated Armed Forces units . ● The Armed Forces Academy in Liptovský Mikuláš organized an international seminar called Youngster and the Okinawa karate and kobudo masters in Slovakia. The seminar was ceremonially opened by the Chairman of the Slovak Karate and Martial Arts Federation (SFK) and the Okinawa Goodwill Ambassador Ladislav Klementis. The Ministry of Defense was represented by the Deputy Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Jaroslav Vývlek. The event was organized by the SFK under the auspices of the Defense Minister Martin Glváč. ● Various types of explosive ordnance disposal , collection of evidence and detection of activities of the explosive ordnance manufacturers were the topics of a lecture given at the Allied Forces Training Center in Bydgoscz, Poland by Capt. Gabriel Janovics, a Slovak specialist with experiences from Afghanistan. Janovics is the Chief of the Information Collection and Evaluation Group of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Center of Excellence (CoE EOD), the first official NATO institution in Slovakia, located in the town of Trenčín. In the course of a four-day training, Janovics also acted as the advisor for the disposal of explosive ordnance and for measures against booby-trapped explosive devices. ● Slovak soldiers fulfilling tasks at the ISAF Command in the Afghan town of Kabul were among those who responded to the appeal made by the Kabul Hospital Blood Bank. The most precious liquid was donated by the members of the Slovak contingent to the ISAF operation – Col. Svetozár Bohuš, Capt. Dušan Košút and Capt. Rudolf Fides. ● The new Forum on Social Security of professional soldiers is under way at the http://forum.mil.sk website. During the first four days the forum attracted more than 3 500 readers. Our website is also the place to find all the editions of our eBULLETIN (www.mosr.sk/ebulletin/), and all this year's editions of the monthly OBRANA (www.mosr.sk/obrana/).
Everybody economizes, so must we all!
Bulgaria Wants Closer Cooperation (July 31) Bulgaria is interested in a more intense defense cooperation with the Slovak Republic, said the Bulgarian Ambassador to Slovakia H.E. Margarita Ganeva at the meeting with MoD´s State Secretary Miloš Koterec. “We see the cooperation possibilities in various areas. Our countries are close not only historically, but also as members of NATO and the European Union. We can also imagine ways of collaboration within the V4 group, which your country in a member of,” said H.E. Ganeva. On his part the State Secretary declared our interest in closer cooperation with Bulgaria: “We would be able to offer you the use of our top training facility in Lešť, the military shooting range in Kuchyňa, and the international Explosive Ordnance Disposal Center (EoD) in Trenčín,“ he said.
Enter New Blood (August 1) For a third time in the 2012 training year the Training Battalion in Martin organized a Recruitment Day for 101 youngsters who have decided to join the Armed Forces. Fourteen new recruits have passed the exam and progressed to the Boot Camp to be drilled by experienced instructors for 9 weeks. On August 2, 2012 they were joined by 55 students from the Milan Rastislav Štefánik´s Military Academy (AOS) in Liptovský Mikuláš, who will also be subjected to the intensive Boot Camp drill. Successful graduates, cadets and AOS students will be ceremonially decommissioned on September 28, 2012.
Uruzgan Under The New Australian Command
(July 30) The MoD´s austerity measures will not touch either the international operations or the MiG29 fighters. “Both are excluded from the funding cuts, both represent our commitments that will be definitely upheld,” said Defense Minister Glváč. The MoD is otherwise ready for another round of cuts. “I am a member of the Government that takes its duties responsibly, so even within the restricted budget we have to find reserves to meet the goals we have agreed on with the other Cabinet members,” said Glváč. In addition to the proposed legislative changes the Cabinet has decided last Monday at its extraordinary session to commit budget expenditures totaling 120 million euro to cover the gaps in this year's budget. “We will surely have to put off certain items and priorities, there is no other choice,” said the Defense Minister. He admitted the fear of further cuts, since the Armed Forces are already financially undersized, however, as he put it: “Everybody saves, so must we all.”
eBULLETIN MO SR
(July 30) Camp Holland at the Tarin Kowt base in Afghanistan, the protection of which is fully in the hands of the Slovak troops, saw the Transfer of Authority of the Command of the Tarin Kowt base. Command, management and responsibility of the coalition troops at the Tarin Kowt Multinational Base was transferred fully to the Australian Armed Forces. In her farewell speech the former Wing Commander Lt. Col. Catherine Williams thanked our troops for self-sacrificing, highly professional performance of duties as well as for the human attitude our soldiers have applied when dealing with all the individuals entering the base through the checkpoint. Lt. Col. Williams admired the honesty and patience, which Slovak troops employed in winning the respect and friendship of both the local citizens and the coalition troops dislocated at the Tarin Kowt base. 53 members of the guard unit, 15 members of the MAT (Military Advisory Team) and 2 members of the PRT (Provincial Reconstruction Team) operate in the Uruzgan province.
July 30 - August 5, 2012