Vojenské rozhledy 1/2000, Czech Military Review [vr no 1/2000] English Annotation The Alliance Dimension of Conceptual Frame of Security And Defence Policy of the Czech Republic


Participation of Soldiers in Political Process: USA, Germany, Czech Republic



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Participation of Soldiers in Political Process: USA, Germany, Czech Republic by PhDr. Zdeněk Kříž, CSc. The author compares two concepts of a soldier: Huntington’s model and W. G. Baudisin’s one. In the U.S. they regard useful to exclude professional soldiers from actual political fight (to limit their participation e.g. in elections), so that they ought to be politically neutral. Of course, they have right to vote, sign petitions or as a private person to support individual candidates. On the contrary, the German concept “citizen in uniform” presupposes a wide participation of soldiers in politics, as a precondition of dedicated military service and civil control. But they are forbidden to join left- or right-wing extremist political parties. Soldiers’ law (Soldatengesets) enable to soldiers to directly influence even German parliament via several professional and vocational unions (e.g. Deutsche Bundeswehr Verband with nearly 265, 000 members). At the end the author pays attention to the ACR. The Czech soldiers have a wide scope of political rights, with the only exception: regular soldiers can’t be members of any political party, political movement or trade union. The system of Czech professional unions is close to that in Germany, but as to forming democratical political process, we are more close to the state in the United States. [VR No 1/2005]
Standardization in NATO Nations and EU Countries and its Connections to Railway Transport Crisis Planning of the Czech Republic by Ing. Michael Pešan, Mgr. Antonín Mládek, Ph.D. Standardization agreements enable to introduce the same or similar armament, weaponry and materiel. Also railway crisis planning must reflects those above mentioned agreements. The main planning body in the CR as far as the forces are concerned is the Centre of Military Transportation, which is a part of the Directory of Logistics and Medical Support Stará Boleslav. NATO echelons have their own specific international code numbers, which are unchangeable and valid in all European NATO states (STANAG 1059). Railway transport in the European Union is guarded by the set of rules issued by the European Railways Agency and manuals on military transportation, EU directives 2002/0022(COD), 2002/0033(COD), 2002/20025(COD). All those directions were introduced by Czech Railways Codes well in advance, before entering the EU. [VR No 1/2005]
Psychic Terror and Working Surroundings by Lt. Ing. Petra Vráblíková. This essay deals with interpersonal problems on working places (in case of armed forces they are military units of any size), playing an important role in humane resources management. The aim of its author is to introduce among military audience relatively new terms, e. g. mobbing and bossing that are coincident with the term “bullying”. Those types of behaviour might occur in military organisations, among military professionals. We ought to be prepared for similar affairs, incidents, be familiar with them, so that we could recognize them in time, to make preventive measures. The essay features a questionnaire containing questions uncovering whether a person is exposed to mobbing and several principles that a bullied individual has to accomplish to protect himself against the “mobber”. Safety measures against mobbing should be implemented into basic rules and manuals of the ACR. [VR No 1/2005]
The Language Preparations of Officer-Candidates by Mgr. Helena Buchtová and RNDr. Eva Staňková. The Department of Foreign Languages, the former Military Academy Brno (now transformed into the Military University), made a survey dealing with language preparation of officer-candidates from VA Brno, as well as their opinions on qualities and levels of such preparation. The purpose of this analysis was to optimalize English instructions in regard to their military profession. Two questionnaires covered the whole field of problems, starting with their initial knowledge, teaching materials, lessons organisation, preference of language themes, e-learning and computers. On the whole, candidates are quite satisfied with both quality and level of English language preparation; actually, they would prefer more teaching units per week. The most important objective for candidates is passing STANAG 6001 tests, therefore language teachers should be in a close contact with the teaching staff from the Institute of Language Preparation where those tests are passed. Authors propose to make STANAG tests repeatedly, every five years, so that gained knowledge and skills couldn’t be neglected. [VR No 1/2005]
Importance of Language Skills for Graduates from Military Colleges by PhDr. Hana Bušinová. The volume of English preparation forms a substantional part of overall foreign language preparation, hence the scholarly research “The State and Optimalisation of Language Training in Military Schools”, headed by Mrs Bušinová, and was concentrated on preferably on English. The research could be divided roughly into two fields of study: (i) bachelor, master and doctor levels, (ii) language preparation in MoD and GS courses. For final results they used ITEMAN program (Assessment Systems Corporation). In general, the results gained are encouraging. To be successful, standard language profiles officer-candidates have to reach are SPL 1 or SPL 2 (STANAG 6001). They rank English lessons among more favourable teaching subjects. One of the outcomes of this study is the necessity to draft more professionally oriented courses of study. [VR No 1/2005]
Remarks on Language Testing in the Military by PhDr. Vlasta Nepivodová. The authoress of the article tries to establish a common ground between the six levels of the Council of Europe Framework of Reference for Languages and the STANAG levels and descriptors developed and disseminated by BILC. Descriptors of the Council of Europe identify three basic levels and a sub-level in each category, while STANAG 6001 descriptors operate with five basic levels of proficiency developed from the original descriptors of the ILR of the US government. These define also levels between these base levels i.e. ”plus levels”. The descriptors of all the above systems regard four skill areas of language usage: receptive skills of listening and reading and productive skills of speaking and writing. The descriptors of STANAG 6001 are common throughout member states of NATO, but it has been up each nation and its testing team to interpret the basic document and to make the decision about the actual format of the test, text types, test technique(s) and criteria for assessment of the receptive and especially productive skills, etc. The authoress belongs among those who work in this special branch of langue preparation. [VR No 1/2005]
MILITARY SOCIOLOGY
Social and Political Studies in the Forces after November 1989 (1st part) by PhDr. Antonín Rašek. The transformation of the former Czechoslovak Army was a very sophisticated process, which included not only transformation by itself, but also both security clearance (vetting) and separating the forces into two armies of two individual states. The author of this paper is the former deputy defence minister, so he was both an eyewitness and an important actor of this development. In his study he summarized statistics done between November 1989 and June 1994 which reflects all layers of society, their attitudes towards questions covering problems the then Czech society was to face (compulsory military service, entering European institutions, namely NATO alliance, army popularity). Tabular summary has not only historical meaning; from it we can draw a lesson and guidance for future development. There will be a sequel to this study in the following issue. [VR No 1/2005]
HISTORY PAGES
The Glorious Battle of Zborov by JUDr. Ivan Kudela. The Battle of Zborov was the main commemorative site of Czechoslovakia’s heroic military cult during the interwar era. Till 1950 it used to be the Day of the Czechoslovak Armed Forces, as shifting fortunes of its commemoration reveal political attempts to reframe national questions for ideological ends. Czech units were developed in Russia even at the beginning of the Great War 1914-1918, mostly from the Czech population living in Russia. Lately the so-called Czechoslovak Legion was formed, from among prisoners of war. The numbers were rapidly increasing: starting with the Czech Group (battalion size) towards Czecho-Slavic (Czechoslovak) Brigade. The most glorious part was taken by the Czecho-Slavic Brigade during the last Russian offensive in July, 1917, in which the Czechs showed manifestly the indomitable spirit that animates them. At the battle of Zborov on July 2, 1917, the Czechs gave the whole world proof of their bravery. Determined to win or fall, they launched an attack almost without ammunition, with bayonets and hand-grenades—and they gained a victory over an enemy vastly superior in numbers. The author, now 83 years old, is a son of one of the former Czech legionaries. [VR No 1/2005]

MILITARY PROFESSIONAL
Strategic Schooling of Officers. Although problems of strategical leadership in the Army of the Czech Republic and those of the U. S. Army are quite different (dimension of forces, forces’ goals, tasks and objectives), general principles are common for all coalition leaders and commanders. The increasing variety and complexity of current missions places a grater demand on the force than ever before. The army must redefine the paradigms of development associated with traditional levels of execution and leadership. The ambiguity of contemporary crises and military events demands that the army begin developing officers early in their careers who can predict second- and third-order effects, negotiate, understand globalization, build consensus, analyze complex and ambiguous situations, think innovatively and critically, and communicate effectively. The article compiled by Ing. J. Nastoupil is based upon the paper by Col. Michael Flowers, Improving Strategic Leadership, Military Review 2/2004. [VR No 1/2005]
Information Operations in Support of Special Operations. As a part of coalition forces, ACR units will probably have to fulfil or take part in special operations (SO) abroad. It is therefore useful to get acquainted themselves with a broader frame of such operations, their support and organization. Information operations (IO) can significantly enhance SOF missions’ accomplishment through focused, coordinated tactical activities. When properly integrated, IO can facilitate and enhance special operations across the operational spectrum. We cannot meet the challenges of today’s operating environment only by engaging in ongoing academic debates on the nature of information operations or by maintaining ad-hoc second-tier staff elements. We must establish and fill core IO billets even in peacetime, which will enhance performance in wartime. The collaborative end result for the SOF IO cell is often a “layering” of IO capabilities in support of subordinate operations. Namely in peacekeeping missions, joint SO task force might undertake broader actions to achieve nonlethal or psychological effects. Source article by Lt.Col., Bradley Bloom, U.S. Army, Military Review 1/2004, summarised and adapted by Ing. J. Nastoupil. [VR No 1/2005]
Commander-Manager and Solving Problems by PhDr. Zdena Rosická, CSc. Organizational potential is regarded as a necessary predisposition of success. Mr Pareti used to say that 20 percent of time spent in an effective way can produce 80 percent of results. Today’s command and control theory underlines the so-called “7S”: Strategy, Staff, Systems, Shared values, Style, Skills. In the world they use many methods how to form labour. They start with functional analysis of jobs and positions—position analysis questionnaire—in which among others the communication ability is determined (and ranked high). In a working team we can differentiate nine patterns (clusters) of behaviour: Shaper, Implementer, Complete Finisher, Co-ordinator, Team worker, Resource Investigator, Plant, Monitor Evaluator, Specialist. (Meredith Belbin). Forming team is only first step. Another important feature of capable commander-manager is the persuasive orientation of personality which is able not only to persuade, but also to diver potential, hidden conflicts. [VR No 1/2005]
Preserved Regions and their Classification for Evaluating the Impact of Military Training by 1st.Lt. Ing. David Řehák. In the middle of the 90s of the last century all western armies were forced by public/civilian pressure to adopt many laws regulating military performances. In order to lower negative impacts of military training of the Nature, the Alliance established Environmental Training Working Group. This group later worked out “Index of Environmental Acceptability of (military) Training” and in 2003 introduced the so-called Index of Environmental Acceptability of Military Activities. The index helps to commanders to survey environmental risks and assign measured data (values) with corresponding variables of training impacts (i.e. environmental risks). The regions with the lowest index numbers are more suitable for military training (military training areas). The author explains this method by means of a chart summarizing various types of preserved areas: areas with special protection, and areas with general protections, which are further divided into many sub-groups. The readers are invited to react to this article by sending e-mails on the address: d.rehak@email.cz. [VR No 1/2005]
PERSONAL DATA
Major-General (ret.) Miloš Knorr—Veteran of World War II by dr. Petr Majer. Before the war Mr Knorr served with Third Dragoon Regiment and graduated from the Military Academy in Hranice (Moravia). In 1939 he was shortly arrested by the German Secret Police (Gestapo), in 1940 left Czechoslovakia. After the fall of France (he was an adjutant to division commander) he left for England. As many others he was in the gathering camp in Cholmondeley Park, lately he became a paratrooper instructor, commander of intelligence platoon, intelligence officer. He was one of three Czechoslovak soldiers who took part in invasion to Europe (second wave). In Europe he questioned captured German soldiers who were disguised in English military uniforms. In the late 1945 he was a liaison officer in Marshal Montgomery’s army. In 1947 he graduated from Prague’s War College and became a professor of general tactics. After Communist’s coup d’état in 1948 he left the Czechoslovakia. In exile he worked again as an intelligence officer—code name Major Peter—for Americans. At the end of 1954 he went to the United States where he started to work for the Insurance Company of North America. After several years he became a director of its European division in the Hague. To his native country he returned only after the 1989 Velvet Revolution. [VR No 1/2005]
VOJENSKÉ ROZHLEDY 2/2005, Czech Military Review [VR No 2/2005]

English Annotation
Some Reflections over the Latest Security Development and its Relations towards the Czech Republic by Ing. Antonín Krásný, CSc. This article deals with a scenario of probable security advancements and prospective roles of NATO, EU, UN, and OSCE in this century, taking into account their joined impact on the Czech Republic. First, the author outlines potential variants of security behaviour. Presented facts represent a suitable base for decision-makers to raise Czech defence strategy with adequate means (but backed only by limited financial sources). The most important NATO’s document “Strategic Vision: Military Challenge” helps us to summarise that the complexity and vagueness of new strategic surroundings need non–traditional ways of thinking, planning, development, among others, namely EBA (effect-based approach). It represents a deep change in the philosophy of planning and deployment. In the past, the centre of gravity was put on the elimination of the enemy. The new attitude pays attention to more complex changes (results) that military operations could produce at all levels of conflicts (political, strategical, economy, moral, psychological, ethic, etc.). [VR No 2/2005]
Historical Reflections and Present-day Challenges in the Process of Developing and Implementation of the Security Policy by PhDr. Balabán, Ph.D. The inspiration for writing this article was the 15th anniversary of November Revolution 1989. It was the very beginning of our new security policy. After 15 years we have made a great advance, but there is still a lot to do. The author summarises main events in this field both on international stage and namely state of affairs in our domestic politics; we have introduced three security and three defence strategies, two constitutional acts, four key acts defining the sphere of crisis management and defence support, 23 legal rules etc. Among deficits we may include, first, the absence of “strategical culture” (determined partly for historical reasons, or thanks to the fact we had no strategy policy of our own), ambiguous and undetermined attitude towards defence both among politicians and citizens, political disputes, arguments, rivalries among state departments, missing genuine civil control of the forces (civilian minister does not mean that there is a real civil control over the military). [VR No 2/2005]
How Much do Things Cost? (Modern Economy Tools in Defence) by Prof. PhDr. Miroslav Krč, CSc. The process of military professionalisation (all-volunteer service) demands basic reform of public finances, esp. with the respect to government revenues and expenditures. To manage or secure financial resources means, first of all, to set our defence priorities. We must gradually reduce defence operation costs, so that we could enhance our capital expenditures. It presupposes a wide rationalisation of armed forces performance in terms of economy. Without those steps, our limited financial means will limit the development of the forces. Professor Krč treats problems of military management from the point of general economy theory, but he warns against one-sided, ill-considered implementations of all civilian economy methods. Saving money does not necessary mean economising resources; such elementary monetarism must be declined. He sets as an example several paradigms from other forces, e.g. accountable budget (Germany), Public Private Partnership (Great Britain), leasing (USA, Norway, Spain, Italy, outsourcing (most of other countries). [VR No 2/2005]

MILITARY ART
Experimental Exercise of Opposing Forces Units with MILES Simulators as a Contribution to Infantry Tactics Development by Brigadier-General Ing. Jiří Halaška. At present, the infantry by itself began the main element of operational objectives. It gradually assumes tasks of other branches of the army and becomes more universal. Although our forces have no practical experience with changed conditions of deployment (e.g. guard service, humanitarian missions, police or CIMIC tasks), new operational environment, namely urbanised terrain, forest and mountain areas, deserts (Iraq, Afghanistan, Chechnya), we are preparing new combat and operational manuals, tactical procedures, making use of above mentioned experiences. In particular, Czech Training and Doctrine Directorate Vyškov examined fighting capacities of infantry in representative combat situations, in order to verify success probability related to friendly casualties. Even though there were certain limitations (e.g. OPFOR units were not organic, only at the first stage of harmonisation, etc.), the experimental exercises were successful and proved that the phenomenon of “small power” is going to be the main operational prerequisite in the future. This article refers about and summarises results reached. [VR No 2/2005]
NATO Security (Defence) Investments Programme and the Plan of Operational Preparation of the State Territory of the Czech Republic by Col. (ret.) Ing. Jan Englich, Col. (ret.), Ing. Jan Strbačka, and Ing. Radovan Soušek, Ph.D. The article is a free sequel to articles published in Vojenské rozhledy in 2002 and 2004 by the same authors. Today they analyse the subject of NATO Security Investment Programme (NSIP) from the point of operational preparation of Czech state territory (OPCST) and at the same time they point to their relations towards the concept of development of the professional (all-volunteers) forces of the CR, adapted to the new source frame, i.e. ACR reform. They summarise all important items of this OPCST/NSIP concept and emphasise that such plans are merely a starting point upon which we must discuss additional considerations and then put them into practice, because those elaborated plans are not an end, but the beginning of all activities not only for the MoD but also for other involved competent government departments and ministries. [VR No 2/2005]
OPINIONS, CONTROVERSY
No Improvisation in ACR Planning and Budgeting by Ing. Jiří Dušek. The author has been working in an economy sphere of Czech defence department for a long time. In fact, he was one of those who introduced the System of Planning, Programming and Budgeting (PPBS) into the forces. Therefore he does not agree with several Ing. Pernica’s opinions demonstrated in Vojenské rozhledy No 4/2005. Generally, it is not true that leading officials of MoD carry on in confusing financial planning. As such, the planning system is based upon correct principles, but their realisation is a long-term task, as we may see in other armies in the last few years. Ing. Pernica does not realise that the so-called standard expenses are integrated into the same category as capital expenses (and so on), as a result Pernica’s statistics is rather misleading. He doesn’t take into account that “forced” exploitation of sources at the end of a budgetary period is in its vast majority deliberately planned. But, Ing. Dušek still regards Mr Pernica’s study as a stimulating impetus for further debate. [VR No 2/2005]
Housing Allowance is Surely not a Curse by František Němec (Col., ret.). The authors of the article in Vojenské rozhledy 1/2005, “Housing Allowance—Blessing, or a Curse?” (Bohuslav Pernica and Petra Müllerová) tried to evaluate housing allowances from the point of “justice”. Mr Němec thinks that the justice was always the problem. It used to be a topic of many discussions. Who can judge the principles of fairness, distribution of benefits and burdens? The real purpose of housing allowances (approved by all political parties) was to react to differences in financial expenses for housing resulting from the situation that with us we have not enough suitable flats for officers and their families. Housing allowance has nothing common with reward system, remuneration. Moreover, in years to come, we may expect releasing rules of state control tied with housing rents. Mr Němec concludes that housing allowances can’t be paid as a lump-sum, they ought to be differentiated under various circumstances. The article by Mr Pernica and Miss Müllerová does not propose any solution of this problem, which Mr Němec regards as its main deficiency. [VR No 2/2005]
The Fairness-Problem in the Case of the Ensuring of Housing for Career Military Personnel by Maj. Ing. Bohuslav Pernica, Ph.D. This is a response to the criticism by František Němec (above). The system of benefits is built on the principles not only the efficiency, but also their fairness. Even the situation in other armed forces, e.g. those of the U.K. and the USA, shows that the principles of vertical, horizontal and distribution equality are been respected in their military housing policy, both by soldiers and their families. Czech housing policy does not take into account the equality principle. To support his assertions, the author enumerates several examples from abroad, taken e.g. from British Armed Force’s Pay Review Body (programme SLA—Single Living Accommodation). In the U.S. armed forces, servicemen receive ready money (cash) as a basic allowance for housing (or partial BAH, respectively). Maj. Pernica demonstrates that housing allowance in those armies are differentiated also according to actual military ranks, whereas in our forces, in theory, the housing allowance of the Chief of General Staff might be the same as that of a professional soldier of the lowest rank. [VR No 2/2005]



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