ODC SLOVENIA SIGNIFICANT ACTIVITIES REPORT,

UNCLAS LJUBLJANA 000216

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: MARR SI
SUBJECT: ODC SLOVENIA SIGNIFICANT ACTIVITIES REPORT,
MAR 2005


1. SUMMARY. EUCOM provided three options on ACSA and
we have contacted the Slovenes for their preference on
how to proceed. The Combined Training and Education
Plan was submitted to EUCOM; highlights are below. New
FMF cases to purchase spares for Slovenia's HMMWVs were
signed this month; these cases are very important.


2. KEY ISSUES AND SIGNIFICANT EVENTS


A. FMF

1) ENGLISH LANGUAGE TRAINING (S3-D-TAC, $650,194)
- There are 36 Slovenian students in elementary English
classes, 48 in intermediate classes, and 13 in an
advanced class, all of which continue until June.
- Terry Jenkins, who was here to teach for 90 days,
departed on 25 Mar.
- The Coordinator of the Language School has been an
American since the language center opened but the
Slovenes will take over the position this year. The
current coordinator will depart before September.

2) HMMWV Spares. (S3-B-KZP, S3-B-KRA, S3-B-BAC, total
$192,810) We received three LOAs to establish cases to
purchase spares for Slovenia's 30 HMMWVs. The Slovenes
signed all three on 29 Mar. Two LOAs make up the CLSSA
case and one LOA is a blanket order case for buying non-
standard parts.

3) DRILL INSTRUCTOR (S3-B-OAB, $153,522)
The drill instructor who was at Vipava Training Center
observing Slovenia's basic training briefed his
recommendations to the Slovenes on 29 Mar. He departed
on 2 April. The Slovenes commented that Sgt Lyons did
an outstanding job and will forward the ODC a letter of
appreciation to send to his supervisor. ODC Chief and
members of the General Staff will meet with the
Commander of the Vipava Training Center in April to
discuss the way ahead.

4) BELL 412 RADIO and IFF (S3-B-UAJ/UAK)
Installation of the radios (UAJ) is proceeding but was
delayed which could cause a delay in the IFF
installation (UAK). The SAF has decided to bring the
helicopters to the subcontractor's facility in Prague
to keep from slipping UAK's schedule.

5) BLANKET TRAINING CASE (S3-B-OAC) The first group (4
students) of the four planned in total, departed for
Grafenwoehr to attend the Primary Leadership Course at
7th Army NCO Academy from 6 April to 6 May 2005. A
group of four junior NCOs will attend the Primary
Leadership Course in May. One student from the April
group will stay as an assistant instructor.


B. DCS/CONTRACTOR

GPS. The Slovenes asked for an official explanation of
the US approval process to obtain P-codes. ODC sent a
message to EUCOM requesting an explanation of the
process and received an email response from the J6
action officer but no official response yet.


D. IMET

1) The ODC received a request for FY06 training for the
Slovene Armed Forces. The Training Manager has been
working with the MILDEPs to develop the FY06 STL.

2) The Combined Training and Education Plan (CTEP) was
submitted to HQ. The main highlights follow:

- Due to the American Service Protection Act (ASPA)
sanctions, Slovenia started executing FY 04 IMET
program only in February 2004. Nevertheless this was
one of the most successful years as we sent the largest
number of students to CONUS training so far (57) and
fully utilized the $950,000 approved by Congress.

- Slovenia's emphasis on senior PME courses has
remained unchanged. It has continued to request and
subsequently fill slots at all the senior PME courses
(Command and General Staff College, Army SGT Major
Academy, Air Command and Staff College).


- Slovenia has also continually requested slots at the
intelligence, infantry, chemical and military police
basic and advanced officer courses.

- The demand for NCO courses has in the last few years
increased drastically with the major emphasis on the
infantry unit/squad leader and senior NCO courses
offered by the US Marine corps.

- IMET training has focused primarily on the 10th
Motorized Battalion, which has to be prepared for full
spectrum operations within the NATO by 2007.

- IMET also responded to the immediate training needs
of the SAF, when asked to provide training for medics
getting ready to participate in ISAF in Afghanistan.
Similarly, the IMET provided training for two
veterinarians deploying to Afghanistan.

- A significant success in FY05 was a MET "The
Recruitment Process in Professional NATO Armed Forces,"
hosted by the CCMR (14 - 16 December 2004). The
workshop proved essential to Slovene recruiting
officials in light of the recent professionalization.
The ODC is coordinating a follow-on event in Sep 05.

- E-IMET has provided training to mid-to-senior level
civilian and military personnel with a focus on defense
resource management and civil-military relations.

- FMF training case has funded Human Intelligence
training for 8 NCOs from the Special Forces Detachment
and the Military Police Battalion. The same case is
funding 16 corporals to attend the Primary Leadership
Course - this is first time ever that the ODC Slovenia
is reaching out to junior NCOs to provide training
which teaches how to lead, train and prepare them for
the duties and responsibilities of a sergeant.

- Slovenia has continued to improve its English
language-training program requiring less assistance in
this field. It was certified by NATO in Sep 01 as a PfP
language center and is now training military students
from other partner nations in the "intensive course."

- Future objectives: Slovenia became a full NATO member
in 2004. In the following years the Slovene Armed
Forces will continue reorganization, integration into
NATO and professionalization, which will ensure an
effective performance of all tasks of national and
collective defense within the NATO. IMET will continue
serving as a backbone of these efforts with its main
focus on the units, which should be ready for full
spectrum operations within NATO. IMET training in FY06
will focus on: (1) Senior PME (NDU, AWC, CGSC, ACSC);
(2) Officer PME (logistics, infantry, intelligence,
chemical, MP, AD, signal, SOS); (3) NCO leadership and
development courses (Infantry Squad Leader, Infantry
Unit Leader SNCO course); (4) Basic and Advanced NCO
training in specialized areas (supply, MP, chemical,
medical, airborne, MP); (5) E-IMET courses in the area
of defense management, acquisition and procurement

3) Ten students were processed for training in CONUS.
The majority were NCOs sent to leadership and technical
training. April promises to be another busy month, as
eight students are getting ready to depart for the US.

4) Two ECL tests were administered to 14 students in
March, all candidates for various IMET courses.


E. COUNTERTERRORISM FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM (CTFP). Slovenia
was allocated $75,000 in CTFP for FY06. The Training
manager is developing the STL.


F. MARSHALL CENTER. Mr. Sandi Curin, a Slovene
national coordinator for trafficking in human beings
and Ms. Irena Cufar, ODC Training Coordinator, attended
"Human Trafficking: Analyses and Responses," held in
Garmisch, Germany, 7-9 March 2005.


G. MIL-TO-MIL/BILATERAL AFFAIRS

1) Members of the 17th BVP (Military Police Battalion)
completed an event with the Colorado Army National


Guard's 220th MP Company (28 Feb - 2 Mar). A face to
face after action review was conducted by the BAO with
members of the 17th BVP that traveled to Denver and the
battalion commander. The battalion commander indicated
that the event exceeded his expectations based on the
information that the participants brought back.

2) The Colorado National Guard Adjutant General, MG
Whitney, visited Slovenia from 16 - 19 March. The
event was very successful in accomplishing the goals of
meeting new government officials within the ministry of
defense, the new ambassador, and hearing the new
Slovene Defense Reforms that are underway. There was
also some discussion with the General Staff regarding
the partnership between Colorado and Jordan. The BAO
briefed the General Staff on the current Mil-to-Mil
program and indicated that the focus is now on quality
rather than quantity.

3) The Small Unit Event (SUE) Final Planning Conference
has been rescheduled for 7-9 June in order to conduct
the FPC nearer to the actual event execution. The SUE
Letter of Intent is still being reviewed by the Slovene
Ministry of Defense with a target date of 8 April for
approval.

4) LTC Poljsak is attending the Berlin Staff Ride 6 -
11 April which is being hosted by EUCOM.

5) A TCT is scheduled to be conducted 4 - 6 May in
Slovenia; however, USAREUR unit has not been identified
to be able to conduct this event. National Guard units
are now being searched. A unit must be identified soon
or we risk having to postpone this event.

6) Todd Lavigne and CPT Llewellyn Hayes will be in
Slovenia to conduct a FY 2006 planning meeting on 17 -
18 May.

7) The BAO has been invited to present a briefing on
the U.S. Reserve Forces to a group conducting STANAG
training in Ljubljana. This will be conducted sometime
during April or May.

8) The BAO has been invited to attend a recruiting
event on 12 April in Murska Sobota for Slovenes that
are attending a selective service briefing regarding
their responsibilities to register for military
service.


3. PERSONNEL/RESOURCES/LOGISTICS


A. PERSONNEL:

1) PERSPECTIVE GAINS: None
2) PERSPECTIVE LOSSES: None
3) ATTACHED PERSONNEL:
- Mary Jo Villalobos, Language Center Coordinator
- Kristin Pedroja, Test Developer, one-year contract
- Kathy Lance, English Teacher, one-year contract
- John Stephens, English Teacher, one-year contract
- Helen Prevost, English Teacher, one-year contract
4) ODC CHIEF APPROVED TDY/LEAVE: None
5) RATING SCHEME CHANGES: None
6) EXTENSIONS/CURTAILMENTS: None


B. RESOURCES. Vehicles and ADP equipment are 100%
operational.


C. LOGISTICS.

1) The BAO van had external bodywork to repair several
minor scrapes that occurred in previous years. The
repairs brought the vehicle back into a respectable
condition.

2) The BAO office is waiting for approval to proctor
the EUCOM Driver's exam for individuals that need to
drive the BAO vehicle. Apparently there has been a hold
up at USAREUR. This affects our BAO Driver since he
has not been given this test.


4. WAY AHEAD (upcoming events next 60 days)
- 25 Apr - 6 May: ODC Chief LV
- 27 Apr: SLO Holiday


- 2 May: SLO Holiday
- 4 - 6 May: TCT NBC Operations


5. CHIEF COMMENTS:

- ACSA. The MOD, with Ministry of Foreign Affairs
input, provided ODC with the new wording for the
Slovene translation of the ACSA (the English version
remains the same). EUCOM has proposed three options to
get the document signed, which were forwarded to the
Slovenes. We are waiting for the Slovenes to review
the options and respond with how they want to proceed.

- The ODC and Slovene military want to thank the US
Army for their exceptionally fast processing of the new
FMF cases to buy spares for Slovenia's HMMWVs. It is
important to Slovenia to keep the vehicles mission
capable and presents a better image of US equipment.


6. POC is Lt Col Margaret Claytor at +386-1-471-2873,
FAX 471-1577, or email mclaytor@san.osd.mil.
REGARDS.
HAAS


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2005LJUBLJ00216 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED



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