The 5th International Staff Officers’ Course held in the Armed Forces Academy (recognized PfP Training Center) was finished on the 12th of November 2010 after eleven weeks of officers’ preparation conducted in English language.

    Eighteen officers in ranks of 1st Lieutenant up to Major from seven NATO and PfP countries (Estonia, Germany, Latvia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia, Ukraine and Slovakia) attended the training to be prepared for staff work within multinational teams in the area of planning and conducting of military operations. Under the guidance of the Slovak instructors they participated at several exercises focused on the Operational planning process during the defensive and offensive operations.

    The closing ceremony was attended by Vice-rector for Military Issues of the Armed Forces Academy Col Juraj Výrostek, German Defense Attaché in the Slovak Republic LtCol Herbert Schmid and Ukrainian Military Attaché in the Slovak Republic Col Igor Kalinčuk. They congratulated to all graduates after successful accomplishment of the course. The best student in the course 1st Lt Björn Horst Leverenz from Germany was awarded by the ISOC Commandant LtCol Tomáš Bobko.

    The lessons in the course were given not only by the Slovak instructors but also by the guest speakers from Netherlands (LtCol Huub Klein Schaarsberg) and Poland (Col Eugeniusz Cieslak). The speakers shared their experience from deployment in ISAF operation, about Command and Control in multinational organizations and Air operations in high scale disasters.

    On the 5th of October the students met with the State Secretary of the Slovak Republic Mr. Róbert Ondrejcsák who stressed the importance of the course as a one form of cooperation between NATO and PfP countries in the area of military training and education.