Ministry of Defence leaders say good-bye to SVK Army Commander Maj Gen Jindřich Joch during farewell ceremony in Trenčín

A farewell ceremony for Commander of the SVK Army Maj Gen Jindřich Joch was held at the SVK Army Headquarters Trenčín, marking the end of Maj Gen Joch's 38 years of service in the Slovak Armed Forces. Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď, State Secretary of the SVK Ministry of Defence Marian Majer and Chief of Defence Gen Daniel Zmeko came to say “Thank You” to him for his work well done and taking the Armed Forces to a higher level of excellence. Maj Gen Jindřich Joch is to retire with effect from 9 July 2020.

Speaking at the ceremony, Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď said: “As Commander of the SVK Army, Maj Gen Jindřich Joch has capitalised on his dedication to his profession and especially the expertise he has gained over the course of his rich professional career, thanks to which he has contributed to the development and advancement of the SVK Armed Forces. Moreover, he has brought up a generation of responsible servicemen and servicewomen who are aware of the importance of service to their country.” As Maj Gen Jindřich Joch retires from active service, the Minister thanked him for holding himself to the highest standards of professionalism and wished him the best of health and strength in his well-deserved retirement.

Chief of Defence Gen Daniel Zmeko said: “On the one hand, I sincerely regret that this experienced general is leaving our ranks. However, on the other hand, it is a natural process of restaffing the commanders corps. Therefore, I am firmly convinced that the new SVK Army leadership will continue to follow the set trend and deliver the assigned tasks with honour.”

Jindřich Joch graduated from the Slovak National Uprising (SNP) Military Grammar School in Banská Bystrica in 1982. On completion of his studies at the Army College in Vyškov, he was commissioned into the Army. He commanded a Tank Company (Squadron) in Strašice in the Czech Republic before taking command of the Tank Battalion Kežmarok. As part of his military career, he held several senior positions, for example, Commander of the Strategic Crisis Management Centre and 2nd Deputy Chief of Defence. His last senior appointment was Commander of the SVK Army from 1 April 2017 to 9 July 2020.