Cadets compete at AFA

On 4-7 Oct, the General M. R. Štefánik Armed Forces Academy (AFA) in Liptovský Mikuláš hosted a knowledge-based competition for military college cadets from across the EU countries, dubbed the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) Olympics. A total of 40 cadets from 15 EU countries participated in the event, which was opened by the State Secretary at the SVK MOD, Róbert Ondrejcsák. The knowledge of the cadets was evaluated by an international board of experts, led by Dirk Dubois, the Head of the European Security and Defence College (ESDC), Brussels, and Col Harald Gell, the Chairman of the Implementation Group (IG) for the European Initiative for Exchange of Junior Officers. The knowledge-based competition was won by a team of cadets made up of Haldo-Rait Harro (EST), Daniel Popławski (POL), Marcelo Aparício (PRT), Ionut-Sebastian Enache (ROU), Alexander Botoš (SVK), Joaquin Alfaro Pérez (ESP), Alexander Ivanov Monov (BGR) and Georgios Karavias (CYP). Cadet Joaquin Alfaro Pérez (ESP) was named the overall winner of the competition.