On May 29th, 2026, a ceremonial assembly dedicated to the completion of the 31st Junior Command and Staff Officers’ Course was held in the auditorium of the Armed Forces Academy of GEN M. R. Štefánik (SVK AFA). The course was provided by Professional Military Education Centre of SVK AFA (PMEC).
As part of the career education system for officers of Slovak Armed Forces, the Junior Command and Staff Officers’ Course represent an important stage of professional development. It provides graduates with a higher level of military education, which is one of the preconditions for obtaining the appropriate military rank. The course took place from March 23rd and 64 members of Slovak Armed Forces and employees of the Ministry of Defence of the Slovak Republic took place at the course. Its implementation was ensured by members of the scientific and pedagogical corps of SVK AFA in cooperation with external Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) from the General Staff of Slovak Armed Forces, from individual components of Slovak Armed Forces and from the Ministry of Defence of the Slovak Republic.
The content of the 10-week educational program of the course was designed with a focus on the development of professional knowledge and competencies necessary for the performance of managerial and control functions in the defence sector. The studies included the areas of the state security environment, planning of military operations, selected aspects of military logistics, as well as the introduction to the defence planning. A significant part of the course was the module "Military Operations at the Battalion/Brigade Level", aimed at acquiring, expanding and systematically deepening professional knowledge and practical skills necessary for an effective performance of command and staff functions.
The ceremonial assembly was attended by the Director General of the Personnel and Social Activities Section of the Ministry of Defence of the Slovak Republic JUDr. Martin Rímeš and Chief of Staff for Operations Support of the General Staff of the Slovak Armed Forces, Brigadier General Roland Sabolčík. The course graduate badges, along with certificates of completion of the course, were presented during the ceremony by the Vice-Rector for Science, Colonel Jozef Perďoch, PhD., and the Director of PMEC, Colonel Roman Kráľ.