Slovak SOAG in Afghanistan Ready to Operate

The Slovak Special Operations Advisory Group (SOAG), composed of the members of the 5th Special Forces Regiment Žilina, declared on 16th January full operational preparedness on the site of deployment in Afghanistan. Prior to their departure on 1st January, the Second Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the AF SR Major General Pavel Macko came to bid farewell to the 24 soldiers, accompanied by the US Defence Attaché to SR Lieutenant Colonel Matthew D. Atkins. Subsequently, the unit deployed in the northern Afghanistan joined the members of the forward group, which had arrived at the site of deployment yet in November last year. Its mission will be to assist with the building of the autonomous special forces of the Afghan National Army. The soldiers raised the Slovak flag on 13th January, on the ceremony of handing over the operational task. Deployment of the forward SOAG was affected by the tragic incident occurring on 27 December last year, when two soldiers of the forward group were killed in an attack. Nevertheless, members of the SVK SOAG are fully prepared to perform their combat tasks, without imposing any constraints.