Almost 400 Soldiers Take Oath of Enlistment in Banska Bystrica

Banska Bystrica, September 22 (TASR) - Almost 400 new soldiers, of whom roughly a third are female, took a public oath of enlistment in Banska Bystrica on Friday, which is also the Day of the Slovak Armed Forces.
       The new recruits have demonstrated their desire to become professional soldiers during a demanding selection process and seven weeks of basic training. In the park that contains the Slovak National Uprising (SNP) Monument about 10 percent fewer people than at the beginning of the process took an oath to risk their health and lives in defence of their homeland and fellow citizens.
       Chief-of-General-Staff of the Slovak Armed Forces General Daniel Zmeko stated that the new soldiers will serve in units throughout the country, especially in those that have great operational importance or represent Slovakia's commitment to its allies. They include future cadets of the General M.R. Stefanik Armed Forces Academy, who undergo five years of study. According to Zmeko, the percentage of female soldiers within the Slovak armed forces is increasing.
       "We need to communicate with the public so that people will trust us. We need to have live contact with them because we're living in a complicated time when we're witnessing attacks that can lead to the army and ordinary citizens becoming divided, and we need to defend ourselves against that," said Zmeko when explaining the public oath. "An alliance between citizen and citizen in uniform is essential for the functioning of any army. We can see it in Ukraine. The Ukrainian army is so effective because it has a lot of support from citizens," added the general.
       According to Defence Ministry State Secretary Marian Majer, the number of soldiers has increased by approximately one thousand over the past year, and capacity is currently filled to a level of around 80 percent.