Taking good care of war veterans is one of our priorities
No. 34 ● Vol. VII ● www.mosr.sk/ebulletin/
Freedom was not for free (18 August) SVK Minister of Defence Peter Gajdoš along with Parliamentary Chairman of the Committee on Defence and Security Anton Hrnko opened a WW2 partisan bunker, sited above the village of Malinová, which served as a shelter for a 70member partisan group after the suppression of the Slovak National Uprising (SNP). The bunker was restored just recently by local village residents and members of the Slovak Anti-Nazi Fighters Association in a self-help project. On the lasting legacy of the struggle for freedom in WW2, SVK Minister of Defence Peter Gajdoš said: “I highly welcome that there is a new bunker in the place where the original one used to be, because whoever passes by will be made to think about the events that occurred here. We must remember that freedom has never been and is never for free.” The Minister praised the initiative of all those who had participated in building the bunker, thereby preserving the site as a treasured memory of an important period of our history for future generations.
(16 August) Viera Stehlíková (95), participant of the national struggle for liberation in WW2, has officially become a war veteran. On the occasion of her birthday, she received her war veteranʼs ID from Defence Minister Peter Gajdoš. Ms Vierka said she valued todayʼs visit and she would even dare to be the Defence Minister. She told Minister Gajdoš: “We could swap our positions.” Speaking about the ʽwar veterans clubʼ, Slovak Minister of Defence Peter Gajdoš said: “Taking good care of war veterans is one of our priorities. The people who fought for our freedom and better future deserve our attention and respect. That is why Iʼve decided to come in person and congratulate Ms Stehlíková, war veteran and participant of the national struggle for liberation in WW2, on her 95th birthday and welcome her to the elite ʽwar veterans clubʼ, where though she has belonged for over the past 70 years, it is only now that she has formally become a war veteran.” Further underlining the contribution of war veterans, he said that they are a tangible reminder and proof of the fact that freedom and peace have never been and cannot be taken for granted. Viera Stehlíková was a direct participant of the national struggle for liberation in WW2 and a member of the Captain Nálepka Partisan Brigade between August 1944 and February 1945. With all legal conditions having been met, she is now recognised as war veteran. Today the MOD registers a total of 140 WW2 veterans and over 7,500 contemporary veterans.
● Earlier this August, Supply Base II (SBII) Martin was the venue of a gathering of its leaders, service personnel and civilian employees where new key personnel were officially introduced. The following officers took up appointments at the SBII and the units subordinate to it: COS SBII Lt Col Štefan Bukovan, N CO Maj Ján Dolník, Commander Munitions Depot (COM MD) Sklené Maj Ján Bartoš, COM MD Rašov Maj František Fecko, COM MD Poprad Maj Miloš Gaľa, and COS MD Poprad Capt Marek Krištof. Commander SBII Martin Col Marián Filip expressed his conviction that the newly appointed leaders will do well in their new assignments thanks to their previous experience. ● Canoe and kayak slalom athletes of the Military Sports Centre Dukla Banská Bystrica (VŠC Dukla) won two medals at the 2018 European Junior and U23 Canoe Slalom Championships in Čuňovo, Slovakia. Canoeist Monika Škáchová claimed gold in the womenʼs C1 U23 event and kayaker Jakub Grigar clinched silver in the menʼs K1 U23. Jakub Grigar won another silver medal in the 3xK1 U23 team event. Marko Mirgorodský, Martin Dodok and Marko Gurecka took the silver medals in the 3xC1 U23.
Battle reenactment in Orava
(19 August) As part of the Slovak National Uprising (SNP) celebrations, SVK Minister of Defence Peter Gajdoš remembered the 74th SNP anniversary during an event entitled ʽOrava 1944 – Take up Arms!ʼ at Camp Oravská Poruba, while at the same time remembering all those who had laid down their lives in the fight for liberation in WW2. Highlighting the SNP liberation efforts in WW2, Minister Gajdoš said: “Today we pay tribute to the outstanding achievement of our predecessors that occurred 74 years ago. The SNP claimed a large number of victims and has forever changed the way the world looks at our nation.” As he added, the social and cultural event ʽOrava 1944 – Take up Arms!ʼ is an opportunity to bring the WW2 events that unfolded in this region closer to young people. In addition to watching an SNP battle reenactment, visitors to Camp Oravská Poruba were given an opportunity to see a wide range of WW2 weapons and equipment on display. There was also a static display of SVK Army vehicles. And the Slovak Presidential Guard of Honour performed a ceremonial drill.
● Over 30 voluntary blood donors came to the village of Čierny Potok in the Gemer region on 14 Aug to support the ʽ13th Slovak National Uprising (SNP) Drop of Bloodʼ blood donation drive. Among the blood donors was, for example, Capt Dávid Vargaeštok, of Bratislava-based Office of Chaplain General of the SVK Armed Forces and Armed Corps, and soldiers of CBRN Defence Battalion Rožňava. ● Over 15,000 euros had, by mid-August, been donated into the bank account (SK91 7500 0000 0040 2351 3691, variable symbol 9999) set up in support of Cpl Ondrej Kováč, who, after suffering a celebral infarction, is a bedridden patient and needs 24-hour care.
Procurement of 3D radars
(15 August) The Ministry of Defence has invited bids for 3D medium-, short- and very short-range radars from 12 Governments. A Request for Government Proposal has been sent out to the Governments of the French Republic, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the State of Israel, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Poland, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the United States of America, the Kingdom of Spain, the Kingdom of Sweden, the Republic of Italy, the Czech Republic, and the Republic of Turkey. The MOD has issued the Request for Government Proposal to the Governments who have the capacity to deliver the required radars. The other NATO countries will be informed about the Slovak Republicʼs intent to procure new 3D radars during the meeting of the NATO National Armaments Directors on 17 September 2018. If they are interested in participating in the radars replacement project, they will be forwarded the Request for Government Proposal additionally. The MOD plans to procure 17 pcs of 3D medium-, short- and very short-range radars worth an estimated 155,090,000 euros, VAT included, for the period 2018-2025. Using the Gov-to-Gov Sales method of procurement guarantees transparency and rules out any form of corruption. The MOD has dismissed media suggestions that it refuses to name the countries with whom it plans to negotiate the deal. As a rule, the countries must first be notified through official channels, and the notification process was not complete at the time of writing a response to the inquiry of the SITA news agency in July 2018. The SITA editor, once again, did not check this information with the MOD before releasing the news.
● The theme of the OBRANA Magazine August issue is the 50th anniversary of the Warsaw Pact armiesʼ invasion of Czechoslovakia on 21 August 1968. From a military perspective, the writers attempt to shed more light on Operation Prague and the impact of the Soviet-led occupation on the Czechoslovak Army and the destinies of Czechoslovak soldiers. For more information, go to http://www.mosr.sk/obrana-082018/. ● The SVK MOD urges drivers to take caution as there will be 5 Allied military road movements across Slovakia on 20 -26 Aug 2018. They will mainly involve HRV troops. SVK Army convoys will also transport oversized cargo on the route from Prešov to Sliač.
SVK and DEU military bands
(13 August) A joint concert of the Bundeswehr Band and the SVK Armed Forces Band took place in Bratislavaʼs Main Square. The music extravaganza was opened by guests from Germany who played a wide repertoire ranging from classics to contemporary music, as well as playing as a joint ensemble. The concert concluded with the playing of the Slovak National Anthem under the direction of Bandmaster Lt Col Alexandra Schütz-Knospe (DEU) and the German National Anthem under the direction of Bandmaster Maj Boris Hokina (SVK). The concert was organised to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the German-Slovak relations.
Slovak and Czech troops undertake mountain climbing training (10 August) The High Tatra Mountains hosted a 5-day joint training activity involving personnel from the Czech Air Force and the Physical Training and Sports Department, of the SVK Armed Forces Academy, with focus on mountain climbing. Attended by 7 Rock Climbing Instructors (RCIs) from the SVK Armed Forces Academy and the CZE Air Force units stationed in Stará Boleslav, Strakonice, Prague-Kbely Air Base and Sedlec-Vícenice Air Base, the training activity included improving mountain climbing and rescue techniques, sharing methodological procedures, and exchanging experience. Methodologically, the training was supervised by a mountain guide of the Slovak National Mountain Guides Association. The opening session of the training, led by Sgt Jirko Štastný,
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saw the participants going over the self -rescue procedures for retreating the climbing team from a rock wall and the theory for setting up safe posts along the climbing route, installing protection and anchor points, and creating makeshift stretchers. The teams were then divided into 4 climbing teams and devoted their time to climbing mountain walls by rope, with the technical levels of difficulty from III to VI grades according to the UIAA (Union Internationale des Associations d'Alpinisme) grading system, while focusing on the climbing route planning process, decision-making, map reading, leadership and orienteering in terrain, lead rope climbing, setting up anchor points, mountain wall orienteering, and safe abseiling.
13 - 19 August 2018