On March 18, the federal army of 9 states, which forms the Alps country, celebrates its creation since 1920. How exactly? .. Maybe to the rhythm of Viennese waltzes or through a combination of music by the famous Austrian composers Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert or maybe with Freudian psychoanalysis combined with deep scanning of events, as Christian Doppler suggested? And if we are still looking for military aspects, I think Schwarzenegger brand elements are indispensable? ..
All these natural, cultural, medical and other resources Austria offers for
delight and use to the entire world. One of the happy beneficiaries is Elena Taralunga, head of the Policy Analysis, Monitoring and Evaluation Section, Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Moldova, who visited Austria several times. Her last trip included a course on security sector reform and a forum on gender issues. Both took place in 2018. What impressions did she get? .. the most beautiful in all aspects: training, infrastructure, services, culture and the cities appearance. Let’s start with the studies: „The course was a useful one, especially for those who develop and monitor policy documents. The information obtained was more than welcome right at the beginning of my army activity, when I joined the MoD in 2013. Previously, I was doing some things intuitively, but this training helped me to check if I did the right thing. Also, we have learned how to effectively involve civil society at different stages of security and defense sector reform process. For example, when developing policies aimed at human resources, especially for women, it is important to consult an organization in the field, in our case – the Women Association in the National Army, because only women better know their capabilities and needs. Moreover, when women represent about 20% of the army’s staff.
I want to add that the trainers during the program were teoretician and practitioners, such as policy board members from international missions such as Mali and South Sudan. They came up with useful recommendations on managing a mission, and other valuable information that you can find out in such events. „
A suggestive detail was the accommodation and the place of the course – in the Peace Castle of Stadtschlaining, Austria – a very green area surrounded by forest: „Both the hotel and the study center look spectacular and tremendous. I was impressed by the way the locals kept the original architecture of the buildings; only inside was adapted as study rooms. I noticed the same trend in Vienna. The modern infrastructure is designed for every citizen’s convenience, including the one in a wheelchair, while the buildings are kept authentic. I was delighted to see the Schönbrunn Palace, the Belvedere and Albertina museums with fascinating collections of paintings by Da Vinci, Michelangelo, etc., of course, the famous Vienna Opera.
The respect for the past is evident; they care a lot about national personalities. The image of Mozart, Schubert, Strauss, etc., is present on almost all the touristic objects. The behavior of the natives is more aristocratic, with elegant manners. It is a pleasure to spend the time in such a special environment. Moreover, they have interesting culinary traditions, for example, strudel is veru delicious.”
Military cooperation between Austria and Moldova, initiated in 2011, includes more than security reform courses and trips to the European capital. An extensive campaign has emerged in the arms and ammunition stockpile management field. In coordination with the OSCE Mission to the Republic of Moldova, in the spring of 2014, a multinational mobile group of experts from Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, Canada, led by Austria, organized well the program, among whose purposes was to reduce the risk of uncontrolled explosion at all the ammunition storage places, said Colonel Andrei Camerzan, Deputy Head of the Logistics Department – Head of the Armament and Military Equipment Section of the MSM. The leading country conducted the training department, based on a 3M (Moderation, Mentoring and Monitoring) system, taught 180 people from several force structures in Moldova. As a result, new trainers have acquired knowledge and skills to manage this sector. With the support of the OSCE Mission to Moldova, a stationary chemical ammunition testing laboratory is expected to be put into operation. The stake is again on the experience and professionalism of the Austrian Armed Forces Logistics School representatives. In this way, the National Army ensures sustainability and becomes a safety provider in this branch, added the same source.
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The Austrian armed forces have several components: ground, air, international missions and special forces. Human resources represent over 22 thousand active staff and 945 thousand reservists. Women have been accepted for military service since 1998. The military budget is 0.74% of the national GDP. Austria is not part of the North Atlantic Alliance, following a decision since 1955. source: https://en.qaz.wiki/wiki/Austrian_Armed_Forces
In Romanian: https://dragostinavicol.org/2021/03/23/semanam-cu-austria-traditii-fara-riscuri/
Other articles about military colaboration:
https://dragostinavicol.org/2021/01/18/moldovan-army-between-the-czech-republic-and-slovakia/
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