US embassy cable - 05LJUBLJANA216

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 
 
 
NNNN 

 2005LJUBLJ00216 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED 


 
v1.6.2