Laureate of Military Deed of the Year Award takes over accolade on return from Afghanistan

Today (12 July 2021), Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď received SSgt Ivana Krivošová, the first woman laureate of the Military Deed of the Year Award in the “Service to the Country” category. She received the award in 2020, but was not able to attend the award ceremony due to her tour of duty abroad.

Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď said: “The laureates of the Military Deed of the Year Awards are heroes who take their service to the country as their mission and prove that with their acts worthy of respect and honour. SSgt Ivana Krivošová is one of them – she did not hesitate to help people in danger, while disregarding any danger to herself. That is why I wanted to thank and present her with the award in person.”

SSgt Ivana Krivošová is a nurse from the Office of the SVK Armed Forces Surgeon General. During the first wave of the pandemic, she provided health care in Slovakia's marginalised Roma communities as part of Op Umbrella. During her deployment to one such community, she reversed the fatal health condition of a malnourished child with other associated illnesses and saved his life.

The Military Deed of the Year Awards recognise and reward the extraordinary acts of regular soldiers in saving human lives and assisting in emergencies, and the friends of the Armed Forces who contribute to building civil-military relations.