REVIEW2/2011

First hands-on experience with thenewCzech-madeassaultrifleinside, p.1617

CZ 805 BRENassaultriflesintroduced to the Czech Armed Forces inventory

Dear Colleagues,

The Christmas time is a time of still and contemplation, which imbues hope with all, even the greatest pessimists. A hope that all their secrets would come true, or that they will do better in the new year. We carry those expectations deep inside from our childhood, when we waited breathless whether our desires would materialise under the shining Christmas tree.

Over time, you have surely same as me realised miracles do not happen spontaneously and that no power from above would help us unless we contribute our bit. Everything we wish for and desire, including happiness and joy of our families, is what we all have in our hands.

I often regard the Armed Forces as one big family that lives its own life at its own pace throughout the year. Its members experience pleasure and joy, but also disappointment and sorrow. Worries and misunderstandings occur too. But every family calms down for Christmas, edges become blunt. People find it easier to forget about unpleasant moments, reconcile and enjoy being together.

I would very much value if you, the members of the big military family, no matter whether wearing the green, blue, sandy or civilian garments, home and abroad, same as in your personal life, started from yourselves. And I would be privileged should you decide that despite all the changes that the economic restrictions entail you take pride in belonging to us.

Dear readers,

Every year is rich in events for the MoD and the Armed Forces and the one that has just passed was no exception to that. As the Minister of Defence of the Czech Republic, I regard the year 2011 as fully used and productive. The White Paper on Defence exactly defined the current condition of the Armed Forces and delineated its future development guidelines. None of us may question the efforts we are exerting to deliver on the commitments we made to NATO, including under the present uneasy economic situation. We still enjoy the right to co-shape NATOs security policy. Our deployments on foreign operation maintain their traditionally high credit and renown. Professional military service is not easy. That may possibly be a part of the magic of holidays including Christmas, that we realise more the value of family, love, friendship and feel how closely they link with the will to serve to our best abilities to a good cause at home and overseas. I am taking the liberty of expressing my sincere thanks and commendation to all of you, soldiers and defence civilians, for everything you have devoted to the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic over the past twelve months.

Let me wish you merry Christmas and the new year 2012 marked by achievements and the best of luck. May 2012 be a year with solid foundations of our common courage to stand up to the

tests, assignments and challenges it holds.

Alexandr Vondra,Minister of Defence of the Czech Republic

General Vlastimil PicekChief of General Staff Czech Armed Forces

Published by MoD CR, Commnication and Promotion DepartmentTychonova 1, 160 01 Praha 6, Czech Republicwww.army.cz

Identification number: 60162694

Address: Rooseveltova 23, 161 05 Praha 6, Czech RepublicPhone: +420 973 215 553, +420 973 215 786

Editor-in-chief: Jan Prochzka, e-mail: jan_prochazka@klikni.czLayout: Andrea Blohlvkov Translation: Jan Jindra Cover photos by Jan Kouba

Distributed by MoD PDD Production SectionRooseveltova 23, 161 05 Praha 6, Czech RepublicOga Endlov, tel. +420 973 215 563

Printed by: EUROPRINT, a. s.

ISSN 1804-9672Registration number: MK R E 18227

Published: December 2012

Contents Dear reader,Looking at the Czech Armed Forces Review publication schedule, my forehead nearly broke out in sweat as I realised that you will be receiving the magazine delivered virtually to your Christmas table. I am taking the liberty of wishing to you and your families merry Christmas.It is incredible that six months have already passed from when the previous issue came out. Time truly flies. What were all events that took place in that period of time? What were all the places that Czech servicepeople met their international comrades in? How many national and international exercises took place, how many patrolling missions were accomplished in Afghanistan? So many questions, even more developments. And yet there are just sixty-four pages available. What is my recommendation? That is a challenge; not only because you may be a part of different services the infantry, cavalry, artillery, CIMIC/PSYOPers, Military Police or logisticians, but also for purely practical reasons the focus of your reader interest. Some are keen to read reportages, others expect data and facts and yet others search for purely historical articles. I may assure all of you that the following pages truly deliver such content. Yes, I am flattering myself, but make your mind yourself. We are printing coverage of operational deployments in Afghanistan and Kosovo, offer an article on Czech helicopter training in mountains and, speaking of pilots, we should not omit the Czech involvement in the AWACS programme. Airmen would forgive me, but training of infantry, snipers, medics, CBRN and Military Police personnel is not less interesting, demanding, and requires excellent physical condition and mental abilities. I must not forget, as the cover suggests, the training that Czech service personnel undergo as part of ISAF predeployment preparation with the new Czech-made CZ 805 BREN rifles. So, you are invited to browse and read.By the way of conclusion, let me wish you the very best of luck, a sound health and contentment in the New Year. PF 2012.

Jan Prochzka, Editor-in-Chief

Doing an Excellent Job 2

Time to go 4

Kosovo in retrospect 8

Operation Desert Serpent 11

Czechs and AWACS 12

Aligning the crosshairs with the hit point 16

A Friendly Handshake 18

Frontline Medics 22

Exercise Boleslavsk hradba 24

Cleared Hot! 27

Krystof 07 Inbound to Help 30

MEDCAP 32

No fear, just respect 34

Not just about surviving 38

Tanks taking a bath 41

Certification under fire 42

Dusty Mountain Trial 44

Combat Survival 48

A Dirty Bomb Attack 50

Black Bear Paw Striking 52

Scrambled within 15 minutes! 56

The Pilot with Two Lives 58

A Game of Light and Shadows 60

Not just about the bulls eye 62

A Too Proud Son of the Chodsko Region 64

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Operations

The principal reason that brought the Defence Minister to Afghanistan was his desire to thank Czech servicepeople for the job they have done there and express his support to them. Over two days, the delegation visited three bases where Czech Armed Forces personnel are stationed. Minister Vondra said the security situation in Afghanistan was much calmer as opposed to springtime, including because the number had grown of well trained Afghani National Army troops and Afghani National Police officers. The Czech service personnel are involved in training and mentoring Afghani National Security Forces and the Allies highly value their achievements.

The other reason for the trip was to get the picture on the ground of the ongoing transition of individual territories into the hands of Afghani authorities. Apart from Kabul, Czech men and women in uniform have served in three provin-ces that have not transitioned yet, but they will be up next year. That will increase the demand

for planning and possible force restructuring and we wanted to discuss these issues directly in Af-ghanistan, Minister Vondra said.

As part of the program, the delegation led by Minister Vondra also visited the brand-new camp of the 601st Special Forces Group in the Nangarhar close to Jalalabad. Base constructi-on was completed at the end of September and a flag raising ceremony took place in attendan-ce of the Defence Minister. I highly appreciate the opportunity to be here today. I am amidst of the Czech Armed Forces elite soldiers. The operators of 601st SFG returned to a place they have been before, as they have operated in this location in what was the historically first Czech Armed Forces operation after World War II. Once again, they are faced with an assignment of challenging special operations mission plus preparation and training of an Afghani National Police special forces. I am confident they have been perfectly ready for the mission. I am proud

that such excellent soldiers represent us here, Minister Vondra underscored.

Chief of General Staff Czech Armed Forces said he also valued the effort by the 601 SFG deployment: You have done a tremendous job already over the short period of time you have been here and I hope you will stay the course. Prior to his departure to the Czech Republic, the Defence Minister met in Kabul with Afghani Minister of Defence, Abdul Rahim Wardak, Mi-nister of Interior Bismillah Khan Mohammadi and deputy commander NATO Training Mission in Afghanistan (NTM-A), Dr. Jack Kem. On be-half of the Czech Government, Minister Vondra informed them about the donation in the form of two thousand magazines for AK-47 rifles. In ad-dition to that, he presented to the senior Afghani officials a list of surplus materiel that the Czech Armed Forces made available for Afghanistan. I have reassured my Afghani counterparts that the Czech Republic remains committed to con-tinuously supporting Afghanistan especially now as Afghani authorities take over a greater share of responsibility for security as a part of the transition process, Minister Vondra pointed out.

On the future deployments of Czech forces in Afghanistan, Minister Vondra said: The Czech contribution has culminated this year; we have 720 of our troops in Afghanistan. The Heli Unit is scheduled to terminate their deployment at FOB Sharana in the autumn, which is a planned and coordinated measure. We plan two rotati-ons for the Special Forces contingent, so I be-lieve their deployment will end sometime in the summer next year. In 2012, while we are still under the mandate authorised by the Czech Par-liament, the process of transition will carry on. In any case, we intend to downsize our foreign deployments in the future.

By MoD Communication and Promotion Department editorial team

Doing an Excellent JobAt the beginning of September earlier this year, Czech Minister of Defence Alexandr Vondra and Chief of Defence General Vlastimil Picek paid a visit to Czech deployments in Afghanistan and met with local government and senior ISAF officials. The Czech delegation also comprised the Czech Ambassador in the U.S. Petr Gandalovi and Parliamentarians.

4rubrika

5

KFOR 19992011

Diten e mir nga utaret ek Good-bye Czech soldiers, the locals in Kosovo said to the members of the Czech Armed Forces Task Force KFOR on farewell.

Time to go

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here, and came to a head by handing over the symbolical key from the camp to the director of the waterworks facility. At the very end, the na-tional flag of the Czech Republic was lowered and the Kosovo Republic flag raised, both with military honours.

Every morning when I woke up and saw the lights at Czech base were on I knew I was safe with my family and did not have to worry about anything. I will miss you very much, one of the local citizens shows his feelings. We have ac-complished our mission, it is time to leave. Go-od-bye Kosovo, Major Nejedl concludes.

by Pavel Lang

KFOR 19992011

The base is ready for handover. We have ac-complished the mission, says the commander of the ACR KFOR Task Force Major Nejedl and specifies more than a four-month effort by his ninety-nine subordinates comprising per-sonnel not only from the 141st Supply Battalion of the 14th Logistic Support Brigade Pardubice, but also from additional twwnty-eight military units and components of the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic.

All outstanding contractual issues have been settled. Serviceable military equipment, wea-pons and materiel have been transported back to the Czech Republic. A part of the materiel that is too old and worn to justify its transportation into the Czech Republic was offered to our Gre-ek colleagues who continue their operational assignment.

We also donated some items to the local au-thorities. That involves some of the accommo-dation containers that the Czech Republic has used already from when it operated as a part of SFOR in the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovi-na and construction, housing and communicati-ons materiel, MAJ Nejedl specified.

That is definitely not everything the Czech Republic armed forces offered to the locals. In the water-works areal, specifically on the premi-ses of what used be the former vehicle pool, we will keep all fencing, plus lighting and the gravel bed, the chief of logistic tasks force First-Lieu-tenant Karel Kosteleck specifies. On the whole, the Czech Armed Forces is leaving Camp Sajko-vac, named by soldiers as the Shaikh, Eagle Nest or Shaykatraz , without any outstanding obligations and they also amply accommodated all local requests for materiel.

It is correct to say that Czech professionals left Sajkovac, but not Kosovo at large. In 2012, about a dozen of Czech Armed Forces personnel will serve tours at Headquarters KFOR.

Half of the Czech military served in Kosovo

With all due respect to the hundreds of man-hours and thousands of most various items transported on kilometres of trains, let us briefly entertain the human potential.

In twenty-three Czech Armed Forces dep-loyments, the total of 8,261 men and women in uniform served tours in Kosovo plus additional 1,090 Czech Armed Forces personnel formed the reserve forces (company and a battalion) on home stations since 1999.

With a bit of exaggeration, a half of Czech military professionals went through Kosovo.

Moreover, a number of those who had then ser-ved as platoon leaders and company comman-ders in KFOR subsequently performed tasks in more senior positions as a part of Operation ISAF in Afghanistan.

The footprint that Czechs have left in Kosovo is quite distinct. Although it has been over twel-ve years, local people still remember the name of the first deployments commander (6th Re-connaissance Company 6th Special Brigade) Colonel Karel Klinovsk. It should be noted in this respect that all Czech Armed Forces deploy-ments, beginning with reconnaissance compa-nies, Czech-Slovak Battalions and autonomous Czech Armed Forces contingents, performed an operational assignment in the area of interest. On June 30, 2011, when the base closing com-menced as well as transfer of equipment and materiel into the Czech Republic, the 2nd CZE Task Force was sort of an exception to that. Our primary task associated with handing over Camp Sajkovac naturally differed from standard operational deployment. The company did not comprise warfighters, but specialists including drivers, engineers, depot operators, guards. Ne-vertheless we approached our tasking as an ope-rational assignment in a combat operation. We have also performed one-hundred percent and been maxed out, support company commander Captain Ji Kubk explains.

Leaving with a clean sheetRespectable and emotional, that was the cere-

mony in honour of handing over Camp Sajkovac and terminating Czech contingent in KFOR. The ceremony was attended by prominent guests in-cluding the Ambassador of the Czech Republic in Kosovo H.E. Ji Doleel, representative of the Pristina region Mr. Gjelosh Vataj, mayor of Podujevo Mr. Agim Veliu as well as senior of-ficials from HQ KFOR, EULEX and UNMIK. The Czech Armed Forces delegation was headed by Deputy Director of the MoD Joint Operations Centre Colonel Jaroslav Kankia.

The ceremony started with addresses. I always underscore that the greatest credit for mission success goes to two units the first one and last one. The Task Force you are a part of has done a tremendous job here. In a very short period of time, you have managed to dismant-le and clear the whole base, progressively meet scheduled timelines for transferring equipment and materiel back to the Czech Republic plus you have aided many families here with our surplus materiel. Thank you very much for re-presenting the Czech Republic and the Czech Armed Forces in an outstanding manner, COL

Commander Czech Armed Forces Task Force Major Josef Nejedl locks the entry gate of Camp Sajkovac in North-East of Kosovo and hands the keys over to new owner, waterworks director Ilmi Selimi. After a twelve years endeavour in NATOs multinational peace effort called operation Joint Guardian and later operation Joint Enterprise marks another important milestone in the history of the Czech Armed Forces. It is Monday, October 27th, 2011, a couple of minutes after twelve oclock.

Kankia emphasised. The Czech Ambassador in Kosovo Ji Doleel followed on: Today is both a very important and a sad day for us at the same time. We got used to that there is the Czech flag streaming over Sajkovac and we meet Czech soldiers in Kosovo. Now it is over. But we may conclude, thanks to the Czech Armed Forces ser-vice personnel, that Kosovo has become a coun-try open for Czechs and we, the diplomats, must make use of this open door opportunity for de-veloping multifaceted relationships.

The ceremony continued with signing of the handover protocol, revealing of a memorial plaque that will commemorate the many years endeavour by Czech men and women in uniform

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Operationsfull in March 2004. Beyond their area of respon-sibility, the Czech forces assisted the Swedish, Finnish and Irish contingents at Obilic, Kosovo Polje, Gracanica, Ajvalija, Caglavica, Plemetina and other locations in Kosovo. They also took over from Swedes in guarding the most promi-nent Serbian monument in the country, a me-morial to their momentous 1389 battle against Turks at Kosovo Polje the Gazimestan. One of the worst situations for our contingent occur-red when a crowd of several hundred Kosovar Albanians marching towards the Administrative Border Line suddenly turned around and headed for a Serbian orthodox church in the outskirts of Podujevo, guarded by a handful of Czech troops. While the crowd was about to storm the church, the contingent commander decided it would be reasonable to withdraw his soldiers. The fren-zied protesters finally used fuel to blow up a part of the church.

Brigade turning into a task force

The Multinational Brigade Center was reor-ganised at the end of 2004 in response to the ci-vil unrests that had taken place in March earlier that year. The Czech-Slovak battalion realigned adequately to the new structure. Subsequently, it could be assigned to the Balkan Joint Operati-ons Area (JOA) concept - to deploy in the ter-ritory of Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina and possibly Macedonia alike. The unit was trained

for crowd and riot control type of missions. One mechanised company was equipped with shi-elds, protectors and batons. Search operations were quite frequent at that time, with special focus on detecting illegally held arms. One of our patrols decided to check a vehicle passing by them in Podujevo. It carried a married couple and children. Soldiers found a pistol the woman was having. They reported that to ops centre at 23:50hrs. A standard procedure was initiated the-re, as we communicated the info to the MN Task Force command headquarters and requested

factsheetThe total of 8,261 Czech Armed Forces personnel served a tour in KFOR over the twelve years. Together with reserve companies that were on standby at their home stations in the Czech Republic, the endeavour involved more than ten thousand men and women in uniform. In aggregate, twenty-three Czech deployments served in Kosovo: 6th Reconnaissance Company, AN-26 aircraft (June 1999 through January 2000).

Commander: LieutenantColonel Karel Klinovsk 4. Reconnaissance Company, AN-26 aircraft (January through July 2000).

Commander: Lieutenant-Colonel Vladimr Podlipn 2. Reconnaissance Company, AN-26 aircraft (July 2000 through January 2001).

Commander: Major Zdenk Pitner 7. Reconnaissance Company, AN-26 aircraft (January through July 2001).

Commander: Major Vlastimil Rozumek 11. Reconnaissance Company (July 2001 through January 2002).

Commander: Major Petr Smola 1st Czech-Slovak Battalion KFOR (January through July 2002). Contingent commanders:

Lieutenant-Colonel ubomr Frk, Lieutenant-Colonel Ji Dragan 2nd Czech-Slovak Battalion KFOR (July 2002 through February 2003).

Contingent commander: Lieutenant-Colonel Ale Opata, Battalion commander: Lieutenant-Colonel Petr Prochzka

3rd Czech-Slovak Battalion KFOR (February through October 2003). Contingent commander: Colonel Rostislav Jaro, Battalion commander Lieutenant-Colonel Josef Kopeck

4th Czech-Slovak Battalion KFOR (October 2003 through April 2004). Contingent commander: Lieutenant-Colonel Ivo Stecha, Battalion commanders Lieutenant-Colonel Zdenk Havala, Lieutenant-Colonel Josef Kopeck

5th Czech-Slovak Battalion KFOR (May through December 2004). Contingent commander: Lieutenant-Colonel Ale Vodehnal, Battalion commander Lieutenant-Colonel Antonn Genser

6th Contingent Czech Armed Forces KFOR (December 2004 through July 2005). Contingent commander: Lieutenant-Colonel Jaroslav Trojan, Base commander Major Nhonk

7th Contingent Czech Armed Forces KFOR (July 2005 through January 2006). Commander: Colonel Ale Vodehnal Commander MNB(C)

8th Contingent Czech Armed Forces KFOR (January through July 2006). Commander: Colonel Miroslav Hlav Commander MNB(C), later on Commander MNTF(C)

9th Contingent Czech Armed Forces KFOR (July 2006 through January 2007). Commander: Lieutenant-Colonel Pavel Lipka

10th Contingent Czech Armed Forces KFOR (January through July 2007). Commander: Lieutenant-Colonel Ladislav vejda

11th Contingent Czech Armed Forces KFOR (July 2007 through January 2008). Commander: Lieutenant-Colonel Milan Schulc

12th Contingent Czech Armed Forces KFOR (January through July 2008). Commander: Lieutenant-Colonel Ji David

13th Contingent Czech Armed Forces KFOR (July 2008 through January 2009). Commander: Lieutenant-Colonel Ji Roek

14th Contingent Czech Armed Forces KFOR (January through July 2009). Commander: Lieutenant-Colonel Rbert Bielen

15th Contingent Czech Armed Forces KFOR (July 2009 through January 2010). Contingent commanders: Lieutenant-Colonel Ji Kvala, Lieutenant-Colonel Jan Cfka

16th Contingent Czech Armed Forces KFOR (February through October 2010). Commander: Lieutenant-Colonel Martin Kavalr

1st Task Force CZE ORF KFOR (October 2010 through July 2011). Commander Task Force: Lieutenant-Colonel Jan Cfka, commander ORF core (deployed in Kosovo) Major Ladislav Hork

2nd Task Force CZE KFOR (June through October 2011). Commander Task Force: Major Josef Nejedl

The unit was led by Major Karel Klinovsk and its core comprised special forces. The re-connaissance company operated in the Multina-tional Brigade Center area of responsibility and performed missions tasked by superior British battle group headquartered in Podujevo. The Czech company established its base in former school in Gornij Sibovac community. The Czech contingents primary mission was to guard a for-ty-two kilometre section of the Administrative Border Line separating Kosovo and Serbia. In addition to that, the Czech force was involved in registering and providing safe return for refu-gees and in fostering conditions for restoration of peaceful coexistence of Kosovar Serbs and Albanians.

The company provided continuous security and protection of isolated locations where Ser-bian population lived, namely Sekiraca.

Together with the People in Need foundation, the Czech Civil-Military Cooperation (CIMIC) team provided for renovation of school in Hrli-ca community. The project was completed at the end of 1999. Czech CIMIC also cooperated with the Devask zvody Uniov, a Czech wood processing company, to deliver ten portacabins for inhabitants in the environs of Orlane com-munity located in the Czech contingents area of responsibility.

A sixteen-member Czech Air Force team with one An-26 aircraft also deployed for KFOR

from the very beginning. They operated in support of KFOR forces and NATO AF-SOUTH in Naples from the Split airport in Croatia. The contingent was reinforced with additional 56 personnel in November 1999. The companys manoeuvre com-ponents were augmented in particular, as a mechanised platoon and guard team, company ops staff, CIMIC and Military Police arrived.

Moving to SajkovacThe second Czech contingent led by Lieu-

tenant-Colonel Vladimr Podlipn managed to identify a more suitable facility to accommodate the Czech base: a waterworks on a hill over the Sajkovac community. The Czech forces both obtained a suitable location and they provided security to the strategic infrastructure. The wa-terworks processed water from the Batlava Lake and supplied a major part of Kosovo.

Later on, to better cover the area of responsi-bility, we took over the Gazala Lines camp from the Brits, which we operated until 2007. Already in 2001, it was decided to expand the contingent with additional four hundred troops. In February next year, a five-hundred strong Czech-Slovak Battalion was formed. The Czech soldiers went through the most demanding period in 2004. At that time, there was every indication that the situation had been stabilised. KFOR command

Kosovo in retrospectThe twelve-year endeavour of Czech service personnel in Kosovo comprises of a range of different chapters

The mission for the KFOR multinational forces in the territory of Kosovo has been to create and maintain a safe and secure environment to enable continuation of the peace process and democratic development in the country. The first Czech contingent arrived to Kosovo on July 12, 1999, just a couple of weeks after the UN Security Council Resolution 1244 authorised the mission.

responded with a plan to progressively withdraw Allied forces. The nature of tasks changed too with a shift to more policing type of missions. Show of force measures were progressively abandoned. Those steps however eventually turned out to be premature. Unrests among Ko-sovar Albanians and ethnic Serbs broke out in

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Operationssearch of the apprehended persons place of re-sidence. Our soldiers immediately put the whole area under closure, Captain Martin Hajduch of the 7th Mechanised Brigade, the commander re-sponsible for the operation, said at that time.

Czech Armed Forces Colonel Ale Vodehnal took over the command of the Multinational Brigade Centre from Finland in summer 2005. Besides the Czech contingent, he was in com-mand of the Slovak, Swedish, Finnish, Irish and Latvian contingent. It was historically first as-signment of the type.

The Czech-Slovak contingents area of re-sponsibility progressively expanded to seven hundred square kilometres. The assigned territo-ry included over eighty kilometres of the ABL.

Soldiers under fireThe Czech servicepeople got under fire seve-

ral times during as they performed service duties in Kosovo. On Tuesday November 8, 2005, ser-geant Karel Meloun of the 43rd Airborne Me-chanised Battalion suffered an injury. On a seve-ral hours patrol along the administrative border

line, the Czech patrol hit

armed persons in Vgliarski Krs area, who were illegally cutting wood. It was obvious they were up to an organised group. In the encounter, in-stead of obeying the call to put down their we-apons, the Albanians opened fire immediately. Czech soldiers answered. First they shot in the air, then beneath their legs. They managed to ap-prehend seven armed men and secure a sizeable weapons arsenal and other materiel. But one of the Czech soldiers was wounded in action.

In spring 2006, the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic reinforced the contingent in Kosovo with a company-equivalent operational reserve force comprising 116 personnel. The force was at their home station in the Czech Republic on a standby alert to deploy to the Balkans at a five days notice to move on request of the Comman-der Multinational Task Force Center. From April till December 2007, the contingent was augmen-ted with a helicopter unit (two Mi-17 helicopters with aircrews and other personnel) that operated both in the territory of Kosovo, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Czech pilots were involved in tactical drops, aeromobile operations, recon-naissance flights and VIP transport. To a limited

extent, they were also able to provide the ME-DEVAC role transporting casualties.

Following an agreement with relevant NATO and KFOR authorities, the Czech Armed For-ces High Command responded to the improved security situation in Kosovo in October 2010 by substantially downsizing the Czech contingent.

The Czech Republic assigned a 489-strong operational reserve force battalion in support of the NATOs Operation Joint Enterprise as Ope-ration Joint Guardian had been renamed in 2005. Nevertheless, only the battalion core comprising 88 personnel actually deployed to Kosovo. The primary contingent components were on station in the Czech Republic. In case activated by the NATO Command in Naples, the battalion staff and a heavy mechanised company were to move to Kosovo territory within seven days.

The last Czech Armed Forces deployment in Kosovo was the 2nd Task Force KFOR led by Major Josef Nejedl. From June till October 2011, the task force was assigned to wind down and close the Sajkovac base, provide transpor-tation of usable materiel and equipment back to the Czech Republic and hand over the water-works facility to relevant Kosovar authorities by end October 2011.

by Vladimr Marek

Operations

Nearly four months have passed from when the 8th deploy-ment the Czech Provincial Reconstruction Team took over its operational assignment. Czech service personnel deployed in Lo-gar perform a whole range of activities including the assignment of Czech force components in support of security operations run by the U.S. Task Force Patriot and the succeeding TF Bulldog.

To provide that support, the Czech PRT assigns a reconnais-sance company of the 43rd Airborne Mechanised Battalion in Chrudim.

One of those operations was performed by the reconnaissance company personnel at the end of September. A group of over twenty warriors, including a sniper element, augmented with a forward air controller and artillery controller from the support company performed fire support missions for the US force that advanced in the Baraki Barak district area.

The very mission that lasted five days was preceded by a planning process, materiel and combat preparation. It was close to impossible to pack all the stuff into the kit, commander of reconnaissance company Lieutenant Marek commented that phase and went on to say: But we managed in the end. The kit weight fluctuated between forty-fi-ve and fifty-eight kilos, which is a pretty good load in the extreme conditions of Afghani mountains.

The operation started at night by an air transfer to the TF Storm combat outpost. The Czech warriors met their American counterparts there and deconflicted the remaining details. Then all of them got onboard a CH-47 Chinook and moved into the area of operations.

Upon the drop, the unit split in two parts, secured the area, got oriented and set out to the locations we were assigned to provide cover to the U.S. elements, Sergeant Jaroslav S., the leader of one of the groups, describes the beginning of the operation. Lieutenant Marek . comments on that: Despite our route was just a kilometre long, we had to negotiate a hundred and twenty metres elevation difference. After ten minutes or so, fire started targeting us from the village below. The shots were however pretty ina-ccurate, so we waited in cover till it ended without answering, not to reveal our activity and then we carried on our movement. Such situation repeated two times.

Right on the first day the Czech servicepeople performed missions in the formation of deployed forces and actively supported their US comrades and assigned Afghani Natio-nal Army (ANA) units. In the afternoon, they again got into contact with insurgencies. Upon engagement of their positions, they responded immediately and identified the area the opposing forces were firing from. Commander of the reconnaissance company Lieu-tenant Marek . Describes the following events:

After a short while, we identified several persons armed with weapons typical for Afghanistan, the AK-47 Kalashnikov, and made them retreat using our firepower. Sni-pers played a major role at that point. Their action provided more freedom of movement for U.S. manoeuvre unit to continue its mission. The rest of the first day and the next day were free of any other incidents. On the third day an insurgency opened fire from the East that practically pinned us down on spot. Only one of us was able to answer fire and cover the rest of the unit. At that point we had no other choice than to call in the air. Thanks to excellent skills of the forward air controller we got out of this nearly no-win situation without suffering any major injuries or damage. In several minutes, insurgents engaged our colleagues two kilometres away. But they were in a more difficult situa-tion: engagement from three sides. Thanks to an excellent coordination and massive firepower they managed to disengage from the contact and continue the mission.

The rest of the operation was easier. The US manoeuvre unit moved farther north. The Czech soldiers held their positions in the meantime and relied on themselves. On the eve of departure they packed their stuff and removed anything that could indicate their presence. We managed to move at night from a steep hill to the pick-up point without problems. In those moments, everyone of us felt hardness and sharpness of stones in the impassable Afghani mountains that caused us countless grazes and minor wounds, Lieutenant Marek . concludes his description of the units deployment in the Baraki Barak district and adds: We secured the area and waited for the arrival of a chopper to move us to our station, Camp Shank.

by MAJ Jolana Fedorkov and LT Marek .

Operation Desert Serpent

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Once the Czech Republic achieved the first mark, having signed the charter of the NATO Airborne Early Warning and Control Program-me Management Organization (NAPMO) from January 18, 2011, and becoming the eighteenth member nation of this unique NATO early war-ning and control programme, it was conceivable to look up to the second objective personnel posting in the E-3A Component stationed at the Main Operating Base (MOB) in Geilenkirchen, Germany. It is no secret that four Czech military professionals have served with the Component: pilot Major Milan Vojek with the 1st Flying Squadron, Navigator Captain Jindich Snhota

with the 2nd Flying Squadron and Major Sta-nislav Hebr and Senior Warrant Officer David vagerka serve with the Training Wing. From August 2011, the Czech four have grown to eight as additional Czech Armed Forces person-nel started training in Geilenkirchen with plan-ned future assignment to the operations team onboard the E-3A AWACS - the mission crew.

Flight posts onlyContrarily to their foreign colleagues (Bel-

gium, Denmark, Italy, Canada, Luxembourg, Hungary, the Netherlands, Federal Republic of Germany, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania,

Greece, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States), the Czech Republics representation in the NAEW&C programme is the smallest in terms of personnel number, but all its existing posts, and the future ones as well, are flight posts. In other words, the Czech effort is exclusively operational, both in the cockpit (flight crew), and in the cabin (mission crew) of the AWACS aircraft. That we in a way picked up only flight posts is what I regard one of the positive aspects of the intensive negotiations we had with NATO partners. No doubt it also raises the prestige the Czech representation en-joys on this very reputable program, states Mr Ji Bedn, the Czech Republics representati-ve in NAPMO and identifies other states whose personnel serve at Geilenkirchen airbase in the aviation engineering service, air traffic mana-gement and logistic support. Many may ask whether the Czech Republic entertained the vision of an AWACS Czech-only flight crew in the accession process. Yes, such vision comes into consideration too. But nevertheless it is no news that all comes down to money. Trust me, it is very funding-intensive, Deputy Joint For-ce Commander / Commander Czech Air Force

To say two years ago that a Czech pilot would soon fly a NATO E-3A AWACS airplane and that the Czech Republic would become a full member of the NATO Airborne Early Warning and Control (NAEW&C) programme, one would preventively get referred for specialist care. But today, it is no longer an illusion, but reality; moreover, larger than initially envisioned.

Czechs and AWACS

NATO

Brigadier Ji Verner underscores. Correct to say that flight posts provide a much more efficient feedback conveying professional knowledge into the Czech Armed Forces. Czech Air For-ce personnel will help reinforce the NAEW&C components operational readiness, and that of NATO, and when their contracts terminate, they will transfer valuable know-how into the Czech Armed Forces units and components.

The Czech Republic will not fill any flight en-gineer posts in the AWACS flight crews in the short term. As far as the board is concerned, the Czech representation will cover almost all func-tional specialists. The operation crew at the back is led by a tactical director and comprises a fighter allocation officer, weapons controllers, passive controller, surveillance controller, sur-veillance operators, communications technician, radar technician and system technician.

On the whole, the cockpit of Boeing B-707/320 aircraft with the typical spinning radome accommodates four personnel and the mission crew is made up of twelve specialists, whose number or specialism may change sub-ject to specific operational demands.

Next challenge? The captains seat!

Major Milan Vojek has served at Geilen-kirchen since August 2009 in a double position of Czech national military representative and as operation pilot. I presently fly as the first pilot an I am in training to become a captain. I will go to a course in that respect in the autumn later this year. Upon completion, I am returning to the 1st flying squadron with higher qualifications, MAJ Vojek says and adds he is retrained at the same time to the Training Cargo Aircraft (TCA), which is a modified Boeing B-707/320C without the radar dish on its back; there are two of those at the airbase and allegedly are to be decommis-sioned at the end of 2011.

The fact that NATO E-3A component has supported Operation ISAF in Afghanistan as well as Operation Unified Protector over Libya and in the Mediterranean, plus high-visibility events and humanitarian aid mission all around

the globe gets reflected in the growing number of flight hours the flight personnel have. The pilots annual flight log counts in the magnitude of three hundred to five hundred hours. I have personally completed over six hundred flight hours over the past fourteen months, says the Czech AWACS pilot. The fact that Major Voj-ek has been so-called combat ready since April 2010 opens the door for him to live operations.

Operational missions are substantially more complex as opposed to standard ones. First by their extremely long duration, which is chal-lenging both physically and mentally. It is no exception that you are faced with a number of unexpected situations during flights that must be resolved correctly, Major Vojek describes. Asked about flights in areas of operations, he re-plies brusquely: We are aware of possible risks in the area of interest. We are fully equipped and prepared for such type of operations. Perma-nent training and intensive flight effort provide required quality for our operational readiness. What MAJ Vojek has been through already? He said the first two months were a warm-up round for him to eventually master organisation and logistic type of tasks. Then he underwent a six-month drill with Training Wing, which he said with slight exaggeration was like going through hell. April 2010 became an important milestone for him: he joined the 1st flying squa-dron as a first pilot. He stays cool to outsiders saying that the harshest time is over for him and finally the calm phase comes. Next professi-onal challenges lie before him, including an in-structor course. Same as before, MAJ Vojek is committed to do his very best to succeed.

Bored? Not in the slightestCaptain Jindich Snhota joined the Com-

ponent in September 2010 coming from the 24th AFB in Prague-Kbely, where he served as a squadron navigator. His flight qualifications then involved roughly nineteen hundred flight hours flying the An-26 transport aircraft. He began academic training in Geilenkirchen at the

Major Milan Vojek

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NATO

beginning of October and at the end of that mon-th he already had a premiere training flight on an AWACS aircraft. Rather than the first flight, I keep recalling the second in the row. Why? It involved in-flight refuelling, moreover at night. Although I was rather a spectator there, it was an incredible experience.

In the initial stage of the training, he learnt first hand there was no English like English. My instructor was an American. From time to time, I had to stretch my imagination to the limit to understand what exactly the point was. But it was much more demanding with the tanker air-crews. Accents some nationalities have caused me problems. At the same time, it is an in-flight operation where there is no room for improvisa-tion, let alone misunderstandings.

There are detailed procedures in place for everything and you have to follow them strict-ly. It all builds on a close collaboration among the multinational aircrew members. A mistake by one may in extreme cases have fatal conse-quences, CAPT Snhota explains, whose con-tract with the E-3A Component is for five years, same as all other service personnel of the Czech Armed Forces.

The six-month training drill, during which he completed fourteen flights, ended in Febru-ary. Then he was assigned to the 2nd Flying Squadron the NATO E-3A Component. It did no last long before CAPT Snhota was ordered for operational deployment in an area of inte-rest. Not for a day, not for a week, but nearly for two months. Flight hours in his log accumulate fast. We were airborne with the An-26 for up to three hours; here eight-hour plus flights are not rare. It is indeed over whole Europe. Unfortuna-tely I have not had a chance to see the Czech Republic from onboard AWACS. The planners are in charge, the navigators says.

Asked whether he does not get bored on such long flights, he laughs heartily. Not in the slightest. Operational flights divide into phases and trust me no transfer into the so-called orbit or operating area does without a navigator. To be in given spot at exact time encompasses en-dless calculations, CAPT Snhota comments and underscores that navigators are presently in

high demand and if there were no Hercules or Transall aircraft, the navigator profession would probably be forgotten.

In command of international crew

The decision of thirteen-member MoD board that Major Stanislav Hebr was the best qualified of three candidates to fill the post of tactical director or commander of operational crew on-board the E-3A AWACS was ruled in April last year. A couple of weeks later, the decision was communicated to the incumbent, then member of Control and Reporting Centre (CRC) of the 26th Command, Control and Reconnaissance Brigade headquartered in Star Boleslav. Who would not be glad? It is the best way for your ca-reer to soar, moreover you serve in a multinatio-nal environment for extended period of time and with flight assignment to AWACS, MAJ Hebr recalls.

Obviously, he did not become number one in the Czech AWACS draft for the colour of his eyes

so to say, but upon meeting all professional and language training criteria. STANAG 3333 in En-glish and five to seven years of relevant service experience. While AWACS aircraft are in reality flying CRCs, my qualifications were good enou-gh. In my last years, I served at the Czech CRC both as a head of radar controller crew, and the head of control and reporting centre crew. He reported at MOB Geilenkirchen on December 1, 2010. His initial steps could lead nowhere else than to the TW or the Training Wing. The initial academic prologue focused on material part of AWACS. Recalling that I had to read as many as twenty-five hundred pages in English, it still gives me chills. You are taking simulator training in parallel. I went for first tests in my system con-trol competence, MAJ Hebr describes and says he completed the theoretical part in two months. Everybody has own pace wading through it. Some make it slower, some faster. For instance my American colleague has already flown the E-3A AWACS earlier in his career, which accele-rated his training substantially.Captain Jindich Snhota

Major Stanislav Hebr

Upon completing the first step, there is the next one the flight phase, which depends on individual specialisms on the mission crew. In MAJ Hebrs case, it is maximum fourteen flights. I have been halfway through by now. If it goes in a standard way, I will have com-pleted the flight phase with the TW at the end of July 2011. Then I will continue my training with the 1st Flying Squadron up to full com-bat ready, Major Hebr states and goes on to say that continuity of training is affected by a number of factors. Presently it proceeds a bit slower than I would have thought. The re-asons are obvious: extremely high operational effort in areas of interest. Availability of ope-rating machines as well as that of training in-structors also play a role. But I do not yield to pessimism. I was given a chance and I highly appreciate that. I have to prove I am truly good enough to act in this prestigious air position. Time is not the critical factor, the key is my professional qualification, MAJ Hebr discus-ses his feelings.

Taking offSenior Warrant Officer David vagerka is

also through six months with the Component; his previous assignment was with the Control and Reporting Centre in Star Boleslav, Czech Republic, and as an assistant to the CRC crew leader. But that is past now. Today, all his talents and skills are employed to successfully comple-te the surveillance operator training. The trai-ning so far was not just theoretical. There have also been interesting activities associated with survival in emergencies, for example on water or in an aircraft on fire, SWO vagerka says and specifies that he should have eight to twel-ve training flights with the TW and then trans-fer to the 1st Flying Squadron. The difference between his previous and current service is not substantial. What I did on the ground, that is search and identify targets using radars and spe-cific modes, I will now do in the air, the Czech military professional states and summarises his experience at the Training Wing. I believe the most challenging for me was the speed at which specialists communicate onboard the aircraft.

SWO David vagerka

Information flow is very fast and there are multi-ple sources. Maximum concentration and effort is not enough. You have to find an effective way of data processing and make it work faster over time. I believe it is just a question of time befo-re it gets under your skin, SWO vagerka says and describes the local reality. The Training Wing is not here to start with you from scratch. If it would be that way, training of this or that specialist would take inappropriately long. They would always give you a helping hand, but it is you who decide about your destiny. In reality, you only retrain to new systems. The basics must be already mastered. It is pretty harsh, but nevertheless fair. Either you are good enough, or not. There are rare cases of individuals not making it through Training Wing and ending, the Czech surveillance operator of the E-3A AWACS mission crew concludes.

by Pavel LangPhotos by Radko Janata and the E-3A Component

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Training

Eighty-two millimetre mortars were the lou-dest. Our unit does not have mortars in its in-ventory, so we had to borrow them from the 44th Light Motorised Battalion in Buovice. Afghani National Army units we will be responsible for in Wardak are equipped with similar mortars, but those are Yugoslavian-made. We perform this type of training for all of our personnel to

be able to mentor a mortar team they will be responsible for at their assigned checkpoints. Only that way we will be able to use the mortars effectively for defending ourselves. Gaining es-sential skills will take two to three weeks, team leader of the weapons company Captain Michal Voltr explains. We seek to simulate a scenario for a unit under attack to defend themselves

using mortars. We shoot at the range of six hun-dred to fifteen hundred metres. We primarily seek to eliminate enemy personnel. We try and hit infantry with mortar fragments. Given the dispersal of ammunition used, the weapons pre-cision is sufficient. We only fire high-explosive fragmentation munitions; we do not have illumi-nating and smoke shells available yet.

Iveco light armoured vehicles assumed fi-ring positions at another shooting range. These vehicles with stealth technology have also been borrowed from the 44th Motorised Battalion. Shooting the remote controlled Protector M151 A2 overhead weapon station is said to be as easy as playing a computer game, regardless of the M2HB-QCB heavy machine gun mounted in the rooftop turret.

Twenty-six shooting sessionsThe biggest novelties however are the new

CZ 805 BREN A1 assault rifles and attachable forty-millimetre grenade launchers. We are or-ganising this live fire exercise for every soldier to be able to operate the new assault rifles and other types of weapons that the personnel of our unit do not normally encounter. We focused on firing at standstill and now we are practising shooting on the move. We want for the warri-ors to be able to completely naturally operate the weapon and perform various missions that way. We will spend approximately thirty thousand cartridges for the CZ 805 assault rifles just over the next week, deputy commander 4th OMLT Major Martin Hajduch points out. By the end of the year, we plan to have as many as twen-ty-six day and night live shooting sessions. The experience using weapon has been superb so far,

I would highlight its accuracy above all. As far as I am concerned there is no trouble with reli-ability either.

Soldiers add some tactical elements into sho-oting practice in the meantime. They are firing from behind obstacles, with right hand, left hand and on the move. In the next phase, the team tries responding to contact with the opponent. It deploys and eliminates the opponent in steps. We appreciate this is a new weapon. There are naturally differences in operating it, in working the safety, different loading. The weapon has a different weight and the centre of gravity; but we are getting accustomed. I believe it just takes a couple of practical shootings and it will all go under our skin, First-Lieutenant Josef Klma assures. The assault rifles comfort is very user-friendly, it carries well. Shooting with the laser is like a fairytale; it resembles computer games. The collapsible bipod make the weapon much more stable and it fires even more accurately.

Other soldiers approve of that positive asse-ssment. There are definitely many more impro-ved aspects on the assault rifle as opposed to the old one. It is more accurate, it does give such a kick. Operating it is also simpler, thanks to which even the lesser experienced marksmen are able to achieve excellent results. In case one has mastered some essentials of shooting, it just takes for them to be able to fully operate the weapon.

Rifle as a construction kitThe rifles modularity and a broad range of

attachable accessories provide a great value ad-ded. Picatinny rails are affixed along the top, on the sides and on the case bottom. When shooting with the collimator, optical and laser sight, the mechanical sights get simply stowed.

We had collimators on Mod.58 too, it is a gre-at benefit. But here we have optical sight that magnifies three times in addition to that, not to speak about the laser sights, Sergeant Miroslav Nov underscores. Shooting in bursts does not lift the barrel as was the case with the Mod.58. With cal 7.62mm, we made up for it using a lift compensator, but it was not enough anyway.

The plastic parts, as usual, were a source of embarrassment in the beginning, but soldiers got used to it over time. Contrarily to the Mod.58 rifle, it also has many sharp external edges. But that is also a question of habit too. The weapon is equipped with a substantially lighter transpa-rent magazine. Shooters are able to have aware-ness of cartridges available. The mag is not yet fully compatible with other NATO standard as-sault rifles. There are plans to equip the weapons designated for use on operational deployments with universal magazine sockets. The idea is that if Czech soldiers would be running out of am-munition somewhere on the ground in Afghani-stan, it would just take a U.S. comrade throwing an M-16 or M-4 magazine. They will be able to use it without problems and vice versa.

There is also the handguard that substantial-ly improves and stabilises the grip. It houses legs forming a bipod that furthermore enhances the combat potential this weapon offers. The whole rifle can swivel around it as needed. But the legs could be bigger; it would provide even more sta-bility to the whole system, Sergeant First Class Pemysl Melichrek comments. The weapon is equipped with a folding stock, which should be replaced with a telescoping one in the futu-re. Particularly taller individuals have problems with the folding stock, as it is relatively short, so they have to arch their backs when shooting.

Future development intendedThe CZ 805 assault rifle successfully passed

the control, military acceptance and comple-mentary tests. It underwent nearly one hundred and fifty tests, including reliability tests in tem-perature interval from -50 to +50 Celsius or 5ft drop test. It was also tested for reliability in high humidity and dusty environments. Additi-onal observations from practical use on foreign operations, especially those involving the Czech Armed Forces deployments, will be reflected in the ensuing variants.

The 40-mm G1 grenade launcher that can be used either autonomously or on the rifle was also found satisfactory. It is a good solid wea-pon giving small recoil. It is possible to take aim with it pretty exactly. I had no problems hitting a 10-metre square over two-hundred and fifty metres distance. Combined with the rifle the system is heavier, but we can cope, SFC Ji Kvala concluded.

Preparation of the 4th deployment the Ope-rational Liaison and Mentoring Team is to come to head at the beginning of the next year at the Joint Multinational Readiness Centre in Hohen-fels, Germany.

By Vladimr Marek

Aligning the crosshairs with the hit point

The 4th deployment the Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team has prepped for their deployment to Wardak, Afghanistan, with new weapons, including the CZ 805 BREN A1 assault rifle

The last months of 2011 saw the preparation come to a head of 4th deployment the Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team (OMLT) for deployment in Wardak scheduled at the end of March next year. There were many bangs going on in the Libava Military Training Area as substantial part of the training was dedicated to shooting, especially the weapons that the 72nd Mechanised Battalion forming the 4th OMLT has not had much practical experience with.

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What changes though with every new unit is the manner those assignments are performed. The reasons for different performance of the operational assignment are diverse. The key fac-tor however is security situation developments. There are areas in the Logar province that pose minimal security risks to ISAF forces, such as in Khoshi district, where patrols were planned with a number of additional security measures

just a year ago. There are areas on the other hand where security situation is very unstable and reconstruction activities needed to be restricted until security situation gets stable again.

Explaining reasons for those changes would be mere speculation. Media frequently coin it like spring/summer offensive, the capture of Osama bin Laden could be another reason or it could be a reaction by insurgencies to the

unstoppable progress and development of the Logar Province.

Setting out to streetsIntroduction of the COIN strategy also brou-

ght about a fundamental change in the way ISAF forces operate. The strategy emphasi-ses developing links with local population and winning their hearts and minds. In reality, ISAF troops dismounted from their safe up-armoured vehicles and literally set out to the streets among people. The COIN strategy was also immediate-ly applied in operations by the Logar Provincial Reconstruction Team.

Another major step forward was a substanti-ally larger involvement in coalition operations going on in their area. The Czech forces have already collaborated with their U.S. colleagues on various levels and in various fields. In recent months however, they have regularly taken part in longterm operations that have a single goal:

A Friendly HandshakeThe mission of the Logar Provincial Reconstruction Team remains unchanged from 2008. The primary assignment is to support the local government and relating development of the Logar province and the associated support to the Afghani National Army and Afghani National Police, not only by the means of mutual cooperation but also by training and mentoring the ANSF forces.

Operations

to improve the security situation in the region. It could seem at the first sight that such type of operations does not have anything in common with the development efforts by the Czech con-tingent, but the contrary is true, the commander of Czech PRT Colonel Hlav explains. De-velopment in the province and the associated projects go hand in hand with the security situa-tion, Colonel Hlav elaborates. We could sit and wait until our coalition partners and Afghani national security forces prepare conditions for our development effort, but it is substantially more effective to join the operations, Colonel Hlav elaborates.

Over the past four months, several crucial operations took place the Czech military profes-sionals were involved in. The Czech troops have operated in the Logar Provinces district centre, the city of Pol-e Alam, for quite some time. The operation is named aptly Lions Cave. About two dozen Czech servicepeople are stationed

20 21

Operations

in turns at a base built on the premises of the Provincial Governments multipurpose centre and go out for foot patrols in the city several times a day. Civilian experts serving with the Czech contingent are stationed on the minibase too. The patrol teams also comprise member of the Afghani National Army and Afghani Natio-nal Police plus there are U.S. service personnel who are permanently stationed there as well. The goal of that measure is obvious: to enhance security in the area through permanent presence of both coalition and Afghani forces in the city. Longterm stationing at the base in Pol-e Alam also facilitates the Czech units operation as it realises even two dozen patrols a week.

There is a limit to our capacity. We have to support the activities by civilian experts, Civil-Military Cooperation specialists, but also day-to-day activities for the unit, such as regular shooting practice, logistic convoys, operations by EOD or QRT (Quick Reaction Team) in case of emergencies, the unit commander explains. When we have our warriors posted directly in Pol-e Alam, it is substantially easier to transfer civilian experts into the district centre and sup-port their activities from there.

Psychology playing a roleImmensely important is also a psychological

effect that this type of patrolling has on the local population. Everybody feels much more com-fortable seeing an individual soldier, although with body armour and a weapon, than a huge convoy of armoured vehicles, head of CIMIC team First-Lieutenant Tom N. elaborates.

Service personnel and civilian experts visit a number of authorities and institutions and co-ver several miles walking every day. Each of our patrols is joined by a horde of kids. They have always joined us a couple of steps be-hind the gate and accompanied us all the way, CIMIC specialist Jan K. describes.

Soldiers always have in their pockets some pens and pencils they can give to kids. In ad-dition, kids are curious in Afghanistan as well and soldiers are attractive for them, same as for

kids in the Czech Republic, he comments. On one of the patrols, a twelve-year-old boy riding a bicycle joined me. We started chatting. First Czech or English and he spoke Dari. An inter-preter joined us in a moment and we could talk daily life. What school he attends, what his pa-rents do, what his plans are for the future. Such contact is extremely important for us. It helps us develop a true picture of the situation in the area and the problems locals face, Jan K. says. That children have joined the patrol has one more im-portant effect. It is a proof positive that there is no danger at that moment for anybody, neither for soldiers. Information on any type of threat spreads like an avalanche among the locals and empty streets or closed shops are a clear sign that something is wrong.

Besides authorities and institutions, Czech service personnel always set out to the local marketplace. Not to buy gifts, but to select mate-riel for quick impact projects. We may choose the way we will realise the projects. Normally we invite several businessmen to the base, we present our requirements and they develop bids in a few days. We select the best one among those bids and seal the contract with the dea-ler, a CIMIC project manager, Master-Sergeant Peter K, says. The other option is to go to the local marketplace, find out about the offer, hag-gle the price, and make the deal on spot, MSG Peter K explains. This way of project realisation has multiple positive effects. First is the project itself, helping the locals, second it supports local economy and last but not least we show to pe-ople that the funds we invest into projects stay in Logar and that we count on their support and cooperation.

Mapping out security situation

Additional two crucial operations, that took place recently, were operation Baraki Bahar in the Baraki Barak district and operation Thunder Spring in Mohammad Agha district. Their goal was to stabilise security there. Jordanian forces

and the Afghani National Army members have joined those operations shoulder-to-shoulder with US and Czech warfighters.

Coalition and Afghani forces have jointly operated in areas where security situation is not entirely stable or are used as a hideout for crimi-nals or insurgents and for weapons caches. The very presence of soldiers in the area immedia-tely affects security, officers having comman-ded those operations concur. Insurgencies must naturally respond to increased movement of coalition forces at once. They are often forced to abandon the area for some time but it takes time for them to re-establish contacts and bases essential for their operations. It is a progress in small steps, but it is progress, the commander US Task Force Patriot, Colonel Antonia, assures. Coalition forces also focused on Azra district in June timeframe. This area in the north-east of Logar is hardly accessible with vehicles and in a way detached from the province geographi-cally. Therefore, coalition forces operate there on a minimal scale and the Afghani National Armys presence is limited too. All security in the Azra district area is in the hands of Afghani National Police.

Czech troops operated in Azra namely in 2009, when they were out to make sure presi-dential elections take place smoothly. The Azra district had the highest elections turnover and the lowest occurrence of security incidents that would disturb the elections. To an extent, that was definitely facilitated by the presence of Czech soldiers. The Czechs have visited the Azra district a couple of times in the past, but it was never a regular or intensive posting.

Operation Azra Spring was designed to map out security situation in the district and figure out what new projects the Czech Provincial Recon-struction Team could contribute to. Attendance of the local Shura, a consultation meeting with elders from communities in the area, is a regular part of such operations.

Czech and coalition forces together with Af-ghani National Army personnel visited four vil-lages in the district in five days. ISAF soldiers

more or less acted as mentors for the Afghani Army, for whom it was the first time to show up in the area. Security situation in the Azra district is somewhat different to other districts and there is no Afghani National Army unit permanently stationed there. It is fair to say that locals live in a sort of security bubble there. Although they are not faced with continuous pressure by ins-urgent groups, their access to the central Logar province and to the neighbouring province of Nanganhar is blocked. Some inhabitants have confirmed to us they have not left their village in Azra district for several years already, First-Lieutenant Tom N. said upon taking a part in the operation in the district. Many of them have practically never ever seen an Afghani National Army or an ISAF member, Tom N. adds. Per-manent ANA presence was one of the require-ments voiced by the local inhabitants in the Shu-ra. There are groups operating here to menace us or steal our crops, an inhabitant of Babar village told the Czech troops. We cannot reach Pol-e Alam, because the only access route is of-ten blocked by illegal checkpoints. In case they halt us, they want our goods that we could sell in the town, or they want money, the local man elaborates. Those armed gangs that threaten pe-ople living in the Azra district are not primarily

committed to promote ideas and political goals of the Taleban and the like organisation, but they very much stand in the way of economic develo-pment in the province.

In touch with localsAll the operations have had one common

goal: to get as closer as possible and penetrate the local population. Development and security go hand in hand and support by the locals pre-conditions successful endeavour by both ISAF and the Afghani National Security Forces.

Warriors are able in everyday contacts to ob-tain information that would otherwise remain undisclosed to them. A friendly handshake, in-vitation for a cup of tea, or even to a lunch is what commonly marks all patrols. It naturally happens that we are not completely welcome in the villages and the locals express that by stones hitting our vehicles from time to time, says the force protection company commander, First-Lieutenant Ji P. On the other hand, we also had a moment when villagers welcomed us with flowers, he says smiling. The 7th dep-loyment of the Logar Provincial Reconstruction Team still have several weeks to go before they hand over, so it is too early to review or assess. Moreover, quantity of patrols, operations they

have been involved in, or the number of accom-plished projects, are just figures in statistics. The same applies to the quantity of security incidents that occurred during this deployment in Afgha-nistan. The Azra district is an area where inci-dent rate is continuously deep below the average for the Logar province. In case coalition and Afghani forces focus their activities into an area, it usually changes the stats there, commander of the 7th PRT deployment, Colonel Hlav, comments.

Every action solicits a reaction and only time will tell whether these activities produce the de-sired effect, Colonel Hlav says. According to official information, the process of transitioning into the hands of the local security forces is to begin in 2011 already. While the Logar province is not included in the first wave of the process, it will definitely happen over the next two years. ISAF forces, including the Czech service per-sonnel, are doing their best to achieve that and the involvement in such operations clearly sup-ports the process.

by CAPT Lada KovovPhotos by Warrant Officer Daniel Hlav

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Operations

I caught a glimpse trough the coach window of two individuals standing at the guardrail. It looked strange to me; I thought what they were doing there. But then I saw a crashed car and a wounded driver inside, Sergeant First Class Lenka Dvokov recalls. We immediately hal-ted the coach; I grabbed my medical kit and ran to the car. The man was truly stuck in the seat; we could not get him out. So I decided to sta-bilise him where he was. I was assisted by lads from our units; they had the combat live saver course. A civilian fire-fighter appeared in the scene too. The injured man changed the colour of his face, his breathing started to fail. Blood was running out of his mouth. It was critical in these circumstances that I leaned his head bac-kwards and freed airways that way. The rest was up to ambulance personnel who just arrived.

Lenka Dvokov only learned later that the driver had a microsleep and hit a van with his car. He suffered internal bleeding. It was only good that they did not move him.

When you help someone that way, help save someones life, it is an incredibly good feeling. It would never occur to me that I could get into anything like that. It felt like an omen: we were just about to depart for our tour in Afghani-stan. I told myself whether that was not a kind premonition.

Medical procedures drilled too

Lenka Dvokov initially applied for admis-sion to a police school. She was not enrolled, and so she started studying the secondary me-dical school. After A-level exams she continued studies at a higher professional school, also in general nurse program. Working in the General Faculty Hospital in Olomouc was however not up to her expectations; she decided to change to the military medical service. She felt attracted by field hospitals and missions abroad. But no vacant post was available for her, so she eventu-ally got the post of a military medic with a com-pany of the mechanised battalion in Hranice. To prove well in a purely masculine and moreover military environment was rather difficult at the

beginning. Not because she would not be able shrug off the sort of rough jokes, but to try and prove to lads that she belonged among them, that she was able to perform to same standards. Her colleagues say she truly managed.

Presently she pursues a bachelor study pro-gram, but that is not the end for her: she would like to go on for a masters degree. Every new piece of information is said to be invaluable for medical personnel. Lenka Dvokov was not afraid to go towards her destiny in Afghanistan either. Together with medical doctor Major Radek Uher, they were among the medics who most frequently went for patrols off base. I of-fered to our lads that if they went for an exten-ded ride and security assessments would tell the-re could be problems with Medevac helicopters, I would join them. In case something happened an hours ride from the base and there was no helicopter available, I would help them on spot, Major Uher explains. We seek to a have a com-bat life saver qualified soldier in every vehicle. The Czech military has made a quantum leap forward in recent years. These lads are able to stop bleeding, provide for basic life functions and prepare the wounded for transportation. But if they were to care for the casualty say for two hours, they could get into trouble. When they encounter a warfighter with burns for example, who bleeds heavily in addition, it may arouse certain stress with them. It is critical to have the procedures drilled under your skin. People who have not been through something like that tend to freeze at first. It is vital to give such persons a kick, to shout at them for instance. Once they get started, it suddenly all comes back to them what to do. Everything gets running by itself.

According to SFC Dvokov, it is not con-ceivable to think whether patrols entail a higher risk than staying at Camp Shank. It does not really matter whether you encounter a rocket at Camp Shank or you hit an IED on patrol. If pe-ople pondered it, they would have to go crazy, she adds.

Doctor instead of pilotMajor Uher became a military medical do-

ctor rather by coincidence. He initially wanted

to be a military pilot. But the Military Academy in Brno did not open a pilot program in 2000. So he decided for the medical profession. There was extensive media coverage of foreign missi-ons at that time, which largely shaped his cho-ice. He had a chance to go for a twelve-month internship in Germany already during studies. That was an excellent experience that pushed his personal development forward substantially. Af-ter completing the Military Academy, he began working at the Central Military Hospital in Pra-gue at the anaesthetic-resuscitation ward. They had state-of-the-art equipment there. Junior me-dical doctors are said not to be capable of doing everything at the start. They very much attended to him there. In 2008, he served two tours with a field hospital in Kabul. It was my first deploy-ment. That is a big experience for everybody, an outstanding lesson. One does not encounter war injuries in Czech hospitals. We had for treatment a member of President Karzais family. The Canadian Embassy expressed their gratitude to us for saving a Canadian Colonel. They held us in quite a high esteem there, Major Uher smi-les. In addition to that, his practical experience in Afghanistan earned him a new posting in the Czech Republic. He was assigned to a field hos-pital and practically served at the Military Hos-pital in Olomouc.

Just four doctorsService of Czech medical personnel at Camp

Shank in Logar very much differs from what they are used to do back in the Czech Republic. Specialist examination and limited availability of equipment also restricts them. For diagnosing,

Lenka Dvokov had helped save life even before she arrived to Afghanistan

A coach of the Hranice-based unit carried the servicepeople forming the new contingent of the Provincial Reconstruction Team on a highway towards Prague Kbely, a Czech Air Force Base. It seemed like most of the soldiers were asleep, but their future expectation did not allow them. They were thinking about what they will be up to in Afghanistan, what the upcoming weeks hold for them.

doctors must primarily rely on themselves and their experience. There is also an increased risk of traumatic injuries.

The U.S. Role 2 medical facility in eastern part of Camp Shank, where Czech medics work, is apparently smaller and worse equipped than the Czech one. It comprises only four doctors; the others are assistants and nurses of various classes. Its organisational structure is much more ramified than ours are. Besides doctors, there are various assistants, registered nurses, general nurses etc. Their nurses have much broader authorisation and also responsibility. In

our environment, the nurse is limited by what the doc prescribes, whereas here they work more autonomously. They often prescribe alone. At the same time, some of them have lower edu-cation than we do, SFC Dvokov explains. I am not sure something like that would be attractive to me. The broader the authorisation, the bigger the responsibility. I would probably fear that.

Americans were rather suspicious at the outset. They watched for how the Czech me-dical perform. But quite quickly they arrived at the conclusion that the Czechs were true

professionals. They assigned me to a trauma team as a volunteer. It is a team that provides care to acute cases as they are brought in. The-ir mission is to provide initial examination and stabilise patients. Basic diagnosing is performed and next steps determined, Major Uher descri-bes. The regular day-to-day care is similar to what we have. But it is naturally more challen-ging here from epidemiology viewpoint. It is quite dusty on the base, plus there is a lack of water and other means which entails lower stan-dards of hygiene in Afghanistan at large. The higher priority hygiene receives on the base. American measures are very strict in this regard. All soldiers must wash their hands not only in the washroom but also prior to meals.

The most enticing part of the US military me-dical support is the medical evacuation system, which is very sophisticated: qualified personnel and helicrews are always available on standby alert. Once the alarm goes, they start off imme-diately. The Armed Forces of the Czech Repub-lic, too, has personnel specialising in medevac in the military medical service, Czech pilots are also able to fly medevac missions, but the US medevac system is something we may only look up to for the time being.

Together with the Americans, Czech medics organised a combat medical first responder cour-se. They also prepared a session in which the

trainees had a chance to practise communication with MEDEVAC aircrews.

During our stay in Afghanistan, we had a chance to see Major Uher not only in hospi-tal, but at a shooting range as well, practising live fire with several weapons. Asked whether military medical personnel are also soldiers, he replies. Absolutely. If the situation gets really dramatic, some sort of engagement, I am ready to assist with a weapon, he concluded.

by Vladimr Marek

Frontline Medics

24 25

The effort by two security guards with dogs to stop the crowd with headcount of about thir-ty comes in vain. Contrarily, their appeasing at-tempt makes the atmosphere ever dense and the crowd grows increasingly aggressive. Meter by meter, the crowd are approaching the Czech Ar-med Forces logistic base. Obviously, they are not very interested in hearing any explanations by the commanding officers. The situation is getting critical. Military response forces need to be ordered to the place. Which is what hap-pens in a couple of minutes. Personnel in crowd control gear cordon the entry off. Citizens, this is Military Police. We ask you to leave this place, the response commander announces. The protesters however show no reaction to his appeal. Another call follows. Citizens, if you do not abandon your illegal conduct coercive means will be employed. No reaction solicits suppression of the protest. A group of bewil-dered rioters is progressively pushed to safe distance. The first demonstration for experts

at the Boleslavsk hradba 2011 command post exercise has just come to a head. This is by no means a complete fiction, but an occurrence that the Czech Armed Forces service personnel may be confronted with on receiving NATO forces in our territory, which would happened in a conflict. In such situation, the Czech Armed Forces would have to provide a comprehensi-ve logistic and medical support to the NATO partner forces according to its commitments to NATO. In other words, providing assistance to NATO forces as a part of Host Nation Support (HNS) is one of the highest political-military ambitions the Czech Republic has.

The training was followed by a field training exercise

A three day comprehensive staff exercise for the Support Forces of the Czech Armed For-ces in Star Boleslav in May was a prologue to the four-day September exercise called the

Boleslavsk hradba 2011 at tpnov u Olo-mouce. At the beginning of the exercise, Briga-dier Pavel Rybk gave a briefing on the current security situation in the area of interest and the mission he was tasked to perform by the Chief of General Staff Czech Armed Forces. The process commenced afterwards of plan-ning according to relevant NATO standards and development of necessary documents for commanding a logistic operation. The com-manders of subordinate units and installations were tasked in the form of preliminary orders. The staffs worked in twelve-hour shifts as nearly five hundred members of the Support Forces rotated in staff posts, not only in Star Boleslav, but also in other bases and installa-tions across the Czech Republic. Objectives of the staff exercise were met: the Czech Sup-port Forces made an immense progress in their capability to deliver HNS. It is our mandatory duty to provide assistance to partner nations. Nevertheless, we have completed just the first

ExerciseBoleslavsk hradba

Support Forces of the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic underwent a test in providing comprehensive logistic and medical support to NATO forces named Boleslavsk hradba (Boleslav Rampart)

Training

step by realising the rehearsal successfully. The substantially more important will be the second one, the command post and field trai-ning exercise on September 5-8, 2011, at the Non-disposable Materiel Base in tpnov, former Czech Support Forces Commander Brigadier Jaroslav Kocin said on conclusion of the exercise.

The principal goal of this years Boleslavsk Hradba exercise organised as a culmination of training activities of the Czech Support Forces in 2011 was: to improve the forces capability to provide a comprehensive logistic and medical support to NATO forces deployed for operations in a conflict zone. The Materiel Base in tp-nov was selected as a place to build the logis-tic support base. Roughly two hundred service personnel from eleven Support Forces units and installations as well as from Joint Force esta-blishments, Military Police and the Active Re-serve component were involved in the exercise. Equipment used comprised approximately fifty

trucks and special wheeled vehicles and a multi-role W-3A Sokol helicopter.

Sixteen proofs of professionalism

Sixteen that was the quantity of installati-ons for personnel on the exercise to prove their preparedness in the final VIP day. The presenta-tion was attended by Deputy Chief of General Staff Czech Armed Forces Inspector General Major-General Frantiek Malennsk, the Sup-port and Joint Forces high command officials, commanders and chiefs of military units invol-ved and representatives of U.S., German, Hun-garian, Croatian and Lithuanian armed forces.

Describing individual demonstrations and model situations that may turn real would no doubt make a dedicated publication. Therefore, from among individual operations from loa-ding vehicles on rail cars, unloading pallets to taking materiel into stock from a road transport and maintenance in field and stationary shops to casualty treatment, including their evacuation by air we will just cover some this time.

Container terminal A couple of minutes past 10 a.m. a rail trans-

port arrives carrying four containers. The containers carry stock of materiel for National Support Elements (NSE) of the United Kingdom and the United States that will be unloaded here and then transferred into the depot of the Non-disposable Materiel Base tpnov, Lieutenant-Colonel Alexandr Man of the Czech Armed For-ces Support Force Command in Star Boleslav specifies and goes on to say that four type ISO 1C ANCRA and ISO 1C NDR containers carry the total of twenty-eight tons of construction and fortification materiel.

Unloading and stacking containers into assi-gned sections does not require dozens of spe-cialists and assets. There is less than a handful of operators and just two vehicles Linde reach stacker vehicle and AD-20 crane truck with han-dling A frame.

The job is done in several dozen minutes. This terminals total capacity is 141 conta-iners, LTC Man says and adds: The depot personnel are able to handle around fifteen containers an hour subject to space currently

The tension in front of the Non-disposable Materiel Base at tpnov is growing intense. At the main gate, where coalition forces trucks are to appear in a moment, a crowd of rioting citizens gather. They came to express their disapproval of the assistance provided to NATO forces. They shout, whistle, hurl plastic bottles with water

26 27

Training

available and access to the train. Containers may be stacked up to three layers high. The opera-tors are obviously highly professional. As well, the Linde vehicle displays an incredible agility handling containers like matchboxes, as it has adequate performance parameters: lift capacity on the front fork is up to 32 tons and height up to seven metres.

The next place showing a demonstration of accepting materiel is Hall 54. Following orders by depot controller, two trucks with materiel for the U.S. NSE pull in. Drivers and warehou-se specialists drive out S-1000 pallets using electric forklift trucks and hand pallet trolleys. The US National Support Element materiel gets transferred into the hall, checked visually, registered by affixing bar codes and assigned a place for storage, Major Ji Kudlek of the Support Command explains and describes activities taking place following acceptance, as the materiel is placed in its zone by forklifts. There are four (A, B, C, D) zones divided with independently closing fire separation gates for safety and security. Two MXX forklifts and

Skyjack aerial platform provide materiel han-dling there.

Capacity of Hall 54 arouses respect even with specialists. Materiel can be stored in 39 lines and 43 columns in 8 layers. The total capacity amounts to 11,613 cubic meters. Just for ima-gination: it is 10,976 units of S-1000 pallets. Demonstrations at individual posts show both a high professionalism of service personnel and defence civilians but mainly a broad range of highly specialist operations. Would the depot personnel be able to handle such a portion, mo-reover in a combat situation? Yes, our base is ready to provide required assistance to NATO nations forces both in terms of manpower and equipment. Today we have verified that it is re-ally the case. The fact that our personnel deli-ver to high professionals standards results from their everyday training, the commander of the Non-disposable Materiel Base Colonel Jozef Galla underscores and points out that all speci-fic capabilities of the depot base were preserved despite major reductions in its organisation that took place.

Twenty-nine components subordinate to us have been abolished over the last decade, he states.

A Grades all the wayInitial assessments of the largest command

post exercise for the Support Forces are most-ly positive. Over the past three-year training cycle, the Support Forces have made an immen-se leap forward. They have progressed from the simple to the complex and the outcome is highly appreciable. Individual demonstrations proved the Support Forces are ready to provide assistance to NATO nations forces to required standards, said Major-General Frantiek Ma-lennsk, Vice-CHOD and Inspector General of the Czech Armed Forces, and said he was the more pleased that officials from other NATO nations armed forces and the NAMSA agen-cy also witnessed the Boleslavsk hradba 2011 exercise.

Their comments that demonstrations were highly valuable for them is the greatest accola-de for all personnel involved in the exercise. In the field of logistic and medical support, the Ar-med Forces of the Czech Republic attained cer-tain quality standards that should be maintained down the road, General Malennsk added.

The Support Forces Commander and Exerci-se Director, Brigadier Jn Gurnk, was also ob-viously in good mood at the end of the exercise. No doubt we are ready to support NATO for-ces. The servicepeople have performed to high professional standards. Their professionalism optimally complemented with the use of appro-priate equipment. P