Chief of Defence Staff of the Netherlands General Peter van Uhm, Military Attaché of the Netherlands accredited to the Slovak Republic LtCol Leon Soroko and Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic General Ľubomír Bulík visited Armed Forces Academy (AFA) on the 11^th November 2011. The aim of the visit was to get introduction to the International Staff Officers’ Course (ISOC).

    Armed Forces Academy is recognized as one of the 23 Partnership for Peace Training and Education Centres (PfP PTC) which organize courses and provide preparation for military personnel within NATO and PfP community.

    ISOC is a project supported by the Netherlands in numerous areas according to the Memorandum of Understanding between the MoD of the Slovak Republic and MoD of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

    General van Uhm received information about the ISOC education and training program and during his visit he spent some time with the students during their practical training in the syndicates. Both generals stressed and appreciated the ISOC contribution to the transparency and interoperability within the area of military training and education and the quality of the theoretical and practical preparation in English language.

    The aim of the course is to prepare officers for staff work in multinational environment in the area of planning and conducting of military operations according to NATO standards. There are currently 20 students in ISOC course from 8 countries (Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Moldova, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia, Ukraine and Slovakia).

    All the guests were welcomed and accompanied by AFA Acting Vice-rector for Science Assoc. Prof. Mariana Kuffová, PhD. and ISOC Commandant LtCol Tomáš Bobko, who both appreciated the support and help from the Netherlands.