The Gabčík´s Legacy (September 6) Defense Minister Martin Glváč visited the Czech Republic on Thursday, and paid tribute to the memory of Jozef Gabčík by placing a wreath in the Church of St. Constantine and Methodius in Prague. Gabčík, who would have been 100 years old this year, was a Slovak paratrooper, who along with Jan Kubiš assassinated the Reich Protector Reinhard Heydrich on May 27, 1942. Joined by a group of paratroopers they hid afterwards in the orthodox church of St. Constantine and Methodius, where they were discovered and killed. “Jozef Gabčík is an important personality of our history. We drew from his legacy in creating our military traditions,” said Glváč during the ceremony. “Our 5th Special Operations Regimen, which currently fulfills the most difficult tasks in Afghanistan, bears Gabčík´s name,” he added. Following the ceremony Glváč met his Czech counterpart, Defense Minister Alexandr Vondra at the traditional Vltava boat ride commemorating the Slovak National Uprising.
Our Last SIAF Rotation (September 5) “In the modern history of Slovakia and its Armed Forces this is already the 3rd Special Operations Task Unit (SOTU) rotation of the 5th Special Operations Regimen that leaves for a war operation. Each of these professionals will personally contribute not only to the safety of the Afghani people and to the renovation of the country damaged by war, but also to the hopes and expectations of the locals for a better future." These were the words used by the Chief of the Staff for Operations, Brig. Gen. Jindřich Joch at the farewell ceremony at the Jozef Gabčík´s garrison in Žilina, home of the 5th Special Operations Regimen.
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From Sept. 2, 2012 to Sept. 7, 2012 the Radiological, Chemical and Biological Protection (RCHBO) Training, Analytical and Support Center (VAaZC) trained 29 specialists of the Slovenian CBRN Battalion. The team headed by Capt. Matjaz Kavcic trained in the detection of toxic chemicals and decontamination of individuals.
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On Sept. 6, 2012 Command Sergeant Major Robert T. WINTERS, the commanding petty officer of the Indiana National Guard visited the Petty Officer Academy. The goal of the visit was the exchange of experience between the U.S. and the Slovak Republic in the area of petty officer training; exchange of information on training needs and deficiencies and a briefing on experiences pertaining to the international crisis management.
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On Sept. 4, 2012 Rector of the Armed Forces Academy in Liptovský Mikuláš, Brig. Gen. Boris Ďurkech opened the new 2012/2013 school year, acknowledging the achievements in R&D including the patent for the SOLEX orientation system, awarded the Academy by the Industrial Property Office of the Slovak Republic. The system enables defining (measuring) the deviation of the vehicle's longitudinal axis from the general direction in a semi-automatic mode using a new method based on two GPS systems and a device measuring the angle of the vehicle's axis deviation.
Iraqi Token Of Gratitude (September 4) The MoD´s State Secretary Miloš Koterec arrived in Iraq for the talks with the Iraqi Defense Minister Saadoon Aldulaimy. The main topics included bilateral cooperation and the upcoming execution of the Defense Cooperation Agreement. In the course of the meeting Defense Minister Aldulaimy repeatedly appraised Slovak Republic's decision to support Iraqi people and actively participate in the 2003 Iraqi Freedom operation. As a token of Iraqi gratitude Aldulaimy signed commendation letters and asked Koterec to deliver them to the families of four Slovak soldiers who had died in Iraq. On the occasion of the Day of Slovak Constitution Koterec along with the Iraqi Chief of the General Staff Gen. Babakir Zebari unveiled a commemorative plaque at the Slovak Embassy in Baghdad to the memory of the said four Slovak soldiers.
• On Saturday, Sept. 8, 2012 the Military History Institute organized the Armed Forces and Safety Systems Day for Children at the premises of the Military History Museum in Piešťany. The program included both static displays and dynamic shows of military hardware and equipment, including historical weapons; presentation of the 5th Special Forces Regimen from Žilina; of the Center of Excellence and of the MiG-29A fighter; and a number of other attractions. •
Twenty one soldiers of the third rotation of Slovak Special Operations Forces (SOF) will be deployed in Afghanistan for six months during which they will have to meet high expectations of our U.S. and Afghan partners, but also hopes we place in them at home. “This might be the last but by no means the least rotation in a long row of them. Our goal is clear - confirm the reputation built by the previous rotations, bring the participation of SOTU in this operation to a honorable an end and withdraw the unit and materiel back home,” emphasized the unit's commander. The primary SOF unit's task is to train the Afghan National Police and its Special Forces.
On Sept. 5, 2012 Slovak members of the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in the Afghan province of Uruzgan delivered the humanitarian aid and presents to poor children of the Kuchie nomad tribes. The aid consisted of toys, school supplies and sweets supplied by the children from the Slovak municipality of Raková of the Čadca county. Kuchie is a Persian word meaning “those who migrate”. Humanitarian aid was delivered to two places - to the Sola settlement near the Ghaznigak municipality and to the Shamal Sola settlement next to the Naychin municipality, east of Tarin Kowt.
• On Monday, Sept. 10, 2012 Radio Regina Banská Bystrica will air the regular Military Segment, in which Sergeant Erika Latová from the Martin Training Battalion explains why she exchanged her doctor´s gown for a uniform. At 4:47 PM on Wednesday Radio Slovensko will air another Military Segment - Slovak Ambassador to NATO František Kašický will talk about reasons why September is a NATO month in Slovakia. On Tuesday September 11, 2012 at 6:30 PM the program K veci on Radio Slovensko will discuss rules governing the movement of civilians in military forests. After 10:00 PM Slovak TV Channel 2 will be reserved for the military show Professional devoted to people, who have contributed most to the success of SIAF 2012 on Sliač.
Keep the Motor Running! (September 5) Based on an agreement signed by the Defense Ministry and the Interior Ministry a twoweek training for firefighters from the Trnava - Pole Voluntary Fire Brigade was organized at the Sučany training facility and other premises belonging to the Training Battalion in Martin. The training focused on driving and operating the PTS-10 floating transporter. This was not the first such activity organized for the Interior Ministry. A similar training was held lately for the fire brigades from the towns of Malacky, Žilina and Humenné. Last winter the Trnava - Pole Voluntary Fire Brigade successfully intervened removing the ice drifts on Orava and Kysuce.
MoD Downsizes - 79 Less Employees (September 5) The mess left by the previous MoD´s leadership calls for radical measures. Starting October 1, 2012 the MoD has decided to adopt a new organizational structure, which will result in the lowest number of employees yet since 2007. Compared to that year the MoD will employ 1.251 less individuals; 79 less than in 2011. Based on the ongoing reorganization, the number of actual job positions will decrease by 189. “This is not just a formal act to lower the number of employees by transferring people elsewhere, to other departments and subordinate organizations. This is a real change. If we did not make order in our own ranks and failed to make the ministry more effective, what moral right in the current economic situation would we have to ask for additional funds from the state budget ?!“ said Defense Minister Martin Glváč with respect to the organizational changes, which ought to be completed by October 1, 2012. The monthly savings on salaries amount to 105.600 euros. Defense Minister Glváč says his intention is to invest a part of the savings into the modernization of the Armed Forces.
eBULLETIN MoD SR
September 3 - 10, 2012