New soldiers complete training

The final training exercise for trainee soldiers, members of the Basic Military Training Company, culminated at the Sučany Garrison Training Area.

The 24-hour exercise was geared towards enhancing the expertise and survival skills of trainee soldiers in field conditions and to prepare them for the conduct of combat missions. It also tested their orientation skills, basic offensive and defensive combat skills, as well as psychological and physical readiness.

The final exercise numbered a total of 158 trainee soldiers in the preparatory state service, of whom 22 were future servicewomen. The soldiers had been undergoing training at the Martin Training Battalion since 13 October. Michal Halas, a native of Ružomberok, who had achieved sustained performance in all phases of the training, turned out to be the best soldier on the course.

He had lived in London for the last 7 years before returning home. “I was just homesick. And wanted to do something meaningful,” said soldier Halas, who will be assigned as a machine gun operator to the Martin-based Mechanized Battalion.

The passing-out parade for the trainee soldiers took place on Friday, 12 December, at the parade grounds of the Training Battalion Martin.