Military logistics is something that cannot be seen at first glance, but neither army exercises nor events such as NATO Days in Ostrava & Czech Air Force Days can do without it. And securing an event of this scale is definitely not easy. First Lieutenant Pavel Macek from the 141st Supply Battalion in Pardubice told us about what all this entails, as well as what the composition of the logistics support unit looks like.
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Another premiere: A400M Atlas from an international squadron
The Belgian Air Force is already a traditional participant of the NATO Days & Czech Air Force Days. For this year, the BAF has prepared a premiere of the A400M Atlas transport aircraft from the unique Belgian-Luxembourg unit. It will be accompanied by a pair of F-16 multipurpose fighter jets at the static display.
The cook is a soldier like everyone else // Humans of NATO Days
Soldiers need to eat too. And who cooks for them? Fellow soldiers. Hundreds of people, soldiers and non-soldiers, need to be fed at the NATO Days in Ostrava & Czech Air Force Days. Sergeant Helena Mráčková, a senior cook from the 2nd Economic Cooperative of the Logistics Company, 143rd Supply Battalion, took care of the food together with her colleagues. She revealed how the military kitchen works and how cooking for exercises takes place.
After a one-year break, the Slovenian PC-9 are returning to Mošnov
Some dogs at the customs administration are also from the shelter // Humans of NATO Days
They look for drugs, weapons, cigarettes and tobacco. We are talking about canine colleagues of members of the Customs Administration of the Czech Republic. How long does their training take? What is the easiest to find and what is the reward? And how to get a job as a training cynologist? Where do customs administration dogs come from? These questions were answered by 2Lt. Martin Kobrč, head of the Service Cynology Training Facility of the Customs Administration of the Czech Republic in Heřmanice in Liberecko.
Hungary will show the Hind and the multi-awarded Gripen
The President of the Czech Republic granted patronage to the NATO Days
Six paratroopers in the middle of nowhere, far from everything, and a hundred Afghans // HoND
We probably don't need to introduce Colonel Ivo Zelinka at length. It can be said that he is one of the most famous Czech soldiers. At the time of our interview, he was a lieutenant colonel and deputy commander of the 43rd Airborne Regiment in Chrudim. In November 2022, he became an adviser to the Minister of Defense Jana Černochová, which also brought him a promotion to the rank of colonel. Since January 2023, he has been the head of communications of the General Staff and thus one of the main faces of the Army of the Czech Republic.
But what were his beginnings in the army? How is the paratrooper training, what was his most difficult mission and how did he cope with being separated from family? What funny story did he bring back from Afghanistan and what does he say to those who are thinking about a career as a paratrooper? Read on.
The premiere of the Greek demo team Daedalus expected at the NATO days
We are very happy that we are safe in the Czech Republic // Humans of NATO Days
Did you know that the Czech Red Cross also belongs to the secondary components of the Integrated Rescue System (IRS)? And those, in turn, are an inherent part of every big event. At the NATO Days in Ostrava & Czech Air Force Days they oversee the safety and health of visitors, but also present themselves to the general public. The Red Cross Regional Association – Ostrava is no exception, moreover, visitors of the event are also introduced to the principles of first aid. In an interview, its director Alžběta Hrabovská explained the association's activities and her work.