On Tuesday, 75 new members of the National Defense Forces (NOS) – trainees – took the military oath at the Military Training Area Turecký vrch near Lozorn in the Malacky district. Another 53 participants continue in the second phase of training, which also includes the President of the Slovak Republic, Peter Pellegrini. Defense Minister Robert Kaliňák (Smer-SD) informed about this at the media day of the Ministry of Defense of the Slovak Republic.
The President, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Slovak Armed Forces, called the military oath a serious moral obligation. “Today, you have become part of one big family of the National Defense Forces. A project that constantly registers a huge interest in Slovak society in completing training and in becoming part of our newly built reserves.” he clarified during the speech.
He emphasized that Slovakia must continue to modernize the professional armed forces, but at the same time it also needs prepared reserves. “Given the complicated security environment, it is necessary that our professional armed forces and the residents of the Slovak Republic can, if necessary, also turn to members of the National Defense Forces,” he concluded. He added that NOS members will be able to help not only in the defense of the state, but also in natural disasters or other crisis situations.
Kaliňák appreciated the voluntary decision of the participants to undergo demanding military training. “You have decided to step out of your comfort zone and undergo intensive military training in your spare time to be ready for the needs of your homeland,” he said during the ceremony.
The Chief of the General Staff of the Slovak Armed Forces, General Miroslav Lorinc, described the military oath as more than a formal act. “It is a public commitment to the state, citizens, comrades-in-arms and finally to oneself,” he said. He thanked the participants for taking part of the responsibility for the security of Slovakia and highlighted the values they had acquired during the training. “It is not technology, equipment or armament, but the character of a person that decides how he will stand in difficult conditions,” he emphasized.
After the oath, the minister informed that 13,500 people have already expressed interest in joining the National Defense Forces. “It’s a number that surprised all of us and for which even the infrastructure was not fully prepared,” he summed up. According to him, the majority of those interested are extremely motivated, which is also reflected in the low number of those who do not complete the training.
At the same time, he confirmed that members of NOS were already deployed to protect objects of special importance during the exercise of one of the mechanized battalions of the Slovak Armed Forces. According to him, approximately 500 graduates applied for the challenge, of which a hundred were selected to ensure the protection of military facilities.
The President added that, at the current pace of training, Slovakia may in the future have more trained reservists than the number of professional soldiers. “This gives our country a greater sense of security and resilience when needed,” he added.
At the same time, he rejected speculations about a privileged position during training. He emphasized that the same rules apply to all participants, regardless of function. “There is no difference in approach to me, nor to the minister, nor to anyone else. The same rules apply. When we do something well, we are praised. When we do something wrong, there will be punishment or rebuke,” he stated. As an example, he cited a situation when the entire platoon, including him, received a penalty of 60 squats for being late to start.
He also confirmed that he continues to perform his constitutional duties even during training. “Today, shortly after taking the oath, I signed three more laws from the National Council of the Slovak Republic. I can fulfill all the duties of the president even remotely like this,” he said. He added that during the entire 14-day training he does not leave the military area and lives in the same conditions as the other participants. “We sleep together with our colleagues in the barracks and live a pure military life, such as is organized in the National Defense Forces,” he said.
The media day also included demonstrations of training, including physical training and military-practical climbing. The training of the National Defense Forces is aimed at the acquisition of basic military skills and readiness of the participants to perform tasks within the reserve forces of the state.
