US embassy cable - 05LJUBLJANA302

UNCLAS  LJUBLJANA 000302 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: MARR, SI 
SUBJECT:  ODC SLOVENIA SIGNIFICANT ACTIVITIES REPORT, 
APRIL 2005 
 
1.  SUMMARY. Interest in purchasing C-27 has been 
informally discussed; Multi-national military exercise 
is being hosted by Slovenia; HMMWV spare parts are 
arriving; Slovene uniforms available for EDA; Bell 412 
IFF installation delays; ACSA may be signed by June; 
ODC Chief transition is being coordinated. 
 
2.  KEY ISSUES AND SIGNIFICANT EVENTS 
 
1) COL Zalokar, FORSCOM G-3 Chief and former 15 th 
Aviation Brigade Commander, mentioned again that 
Slovenia is interested in purchasing a transport 
aircraft similar in size and capabilities to the C-27 
Spartan.  Additional information is being gathered 
about the level of commitment to this request. 
 
2) Slovenia's "Clever Ferret" Multi-National Land 
Forces event is being conducted during the month of May 
between Hungary, Italy, and Slovenia.  Significant 
dates: 18 May - Visitors, 24 May - VIP day. 
 
3) Slovenia has agreed to provide 5,000 uniforms as 
Excess Defense Articles and Sierra Leone is interested 
in them.  We are coordinating with Slovenia to acquire 
pictures of the uniforms for Sierra Leone. 
 
A. FMF 
 
1) ENGLISH LANGUAGE TRAINING (S3-D-TAC, $650,194) 
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 departs 11 May.  There are 36 
Slovenian students in elementary English classes, 48 in 
intermediate classes, and 13 in an advanced class, all 
of whom continue until June. 
 
2) HMMWV Spares.  (S3-B-KZP, S3-B-KRA, S3-B-BAC, total 
$192,810)  The Army contacts worked hard to implement 
this case very quickly. The case is active, parts have 
been ordered, and some parts have already been received 
in Slovenia. 
 
3) DRILL INSTRUCTOR (S3-B-OAB, $153,522) 
Recommendations from the drill instructor who was at 
Vipava Training Center observing Slovenia's basic 
training were formally provided to the MOD.  ODC Chief 
and members of the General Staff will meet with the 
Commander of the Vipava Training Center in May to 
discuss the way ahead. 
 
4) BELL 412 VHF RADIO and IFF (S3-B-UAJ/UAK) 
Installation of the radios (UAJ) is proceeding, but has 
been delayed while the Slovenes await coordination from 
Rockwell Collins.  This will cause a delay in the IFF 
installation (UAK), scheduled to begin 9 May in Prague. 
This delay will likely cause the case to exceed the 
original case value. Raytheon has asked us to assist in 
resolving this issue. 
 
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) Eight students have been processed for various 
technical and professional military training. The first 
two officers from the 18 th NBC battalion will attend 
Chemical Officer Basic course. 
 
2) The training manager worked with the MILDEPs to 
program the majority of FY-06 courses that Slovenia 
requested. 
 
3. 2 ECL tests were administered to 16 students, all 
for FY 05 IMET and S3-B-OAC. A 3-point ECL waiver was 
granted to a student attending Health Care Specialist 
course. 
 
E. COUNTERTERRORISM FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM (CTFP). 
 
 
1) Slovenia received CTFP funding for "Regional MET: 
Civil-Military Responses to Terrorism," Hungary (18 - 
26 April 2005) and sent two participants to the 
seminar. Slovenia originally had three candidates for 
this event, but because the approval and funding were 
received only 2 days before the MET started, one 
candidate could not attend. 
 
F. MARSHALL CENTER. 
 
1)"How to Win the Peace: Challenges, Concepts and 
Capabilities of 21st Century Crisis Management," 
Berlin, 6-8 April 2005. Three high-level officials from 
the Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Foreign Affairs 
and the Parliament attended. 
 
2)"Senior Executive Seminar 05-3: Challenges to NATO's 
Transformation: A Look Across the Mediterranean," 25 
April - 6 May 2005. Slovenia got an approval to send 
three participants to this course (two slots allocated 
for Slovenia)- two from the Ministry of Defense and one 
from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 
 
G. MIL-TO-MIL/BILATERAL AFFAIRS 
 
1) BAO is coordinating for Brigadier Krkovic and MAJ 
Zakrajsek to observe Marine integration in North 
Carolina and South Carolina during June (SI-0781). 
 
2) J4-ID and SPP is not able to support two NBC 
Operations events for Slovenia. Slovenia's stated 
contribution to NATO has been a strong NBC capability, 
therefore, these events are high priority. The SPP 
program is now searching for National Guard Units that 
may be able to participate. 
 
3) J4-ID LRP planning meeting has been changed to a 
tele-conference/video-conference scheduled for 17 May. 
 
4) LTC Poljsak, J-4, attended the Berlin Staff Ride 6 - 
11 April.  He said that the event was well planned and 
executed and he was able to make some significant 
points of contact regarding logistics training being 
conducted in Bulgaria.  As a result of this, Slovenia 
was able to get two officers invited to a 7-week MTT 
developed by the Joint Movement Center that Bulgaria is 
going to conduct. 
 
5) The BAO met with Navy Captain Edi Jeran, 
International Cooperation Events Coordinator at 
FORSCOM, J-9, on 9 April to discuss and prioritize FY 
05 events and FY 06 events. 
 
6) The BAO has attended several representational events 
to continue to build strong relationships in Slovenia 
and to support the Ambassadors speakers program. He 
attended the WWII commemoration ceremony in Javorvica, 
military event in Obina-Grad, was escort officer for 
Slovenes invited to Aviano by the DAO, and made a 
presentation at the Foreign Language School in 
Sentjernej.  He also hosted a BBQ for selected members 
of the 17 th Military Police Battalion. 
 
3.  PERSONNEL/RESOURCES/LOGISTICS 
 
A.  PERSONNEL: 
 
1) PERSPECTIVE GAINS: Lt Col Eugene Moty, tentative 
arrival 23 Jun 05 
2) PERSPECTIVE LOSSES: Lt Col Margaret Claytor, 
scheduled to depart in Aug 05 
3) ATTACHED PERSONNEL: 
- Mary Jo Villalobos, Language Center Coordinator, 
departs 11 May 
- 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: 25 April to 6 May 2005 
5) RATING SCHEME CHANGES: None 
6) EXTENSIONS/CURTAILMENTS: None 
 
 
B. RESOURCES. Vehicles and ADP equipment are 100% 
 
 
operational. SA van headlights were replaced. 
 
C.   LOGISTICS.  The  ODC is awaiting a decision from 
EUCOM J4 on whether the ODC will join the furniture 
pool at the Embassy. 
 
4.  WAY AHEAD (upcoming events next 60 days) 
- 25 Apr - 6 May: ODC Chief Leave 
- 27 Apr: SLO Holiday 
- 2 May: SLO Holiday 
- 17 May: EUCOM J4-ID Mil-to-Mil Planning 
- 27 - 31 May: Congressional Delegation in Slovenia 
- 7 - 9 June: Small Unit Event Final Planning Conf 
- 27 Jun - 1 Jul: Rotary Wing PKO, Mil-to-Mil(SI-0776) 
 
5. CHIEF COMMENTS: 
 
A.  ACSA.  Mr. Bozidar Humar, within the Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs, is responsible for finalizing the ACSA 
agreement. Some discrepancies in the translation of the 
original text were corrected and should be sent to us 
during the first week of May. Once we verify their 
proposed modifications they will start the ratification 
process with the Government and then their Parliament. 
They hope to have these modifications finalized in 
June. 
 
B.  FMF Case Review.  The ODC has initiated a review of 
all FMF cases to identify funds on existing cases that 
are not planned to be used.  The goal is to free up 
funds where possible and make them available for other 
cases. 
 
C.  The Coordinator of the English Language Center, 
Mary Jo Villalobos, departs Slovenia on 11 May after 
having spent nearly five years here.  She set up and 
managed the English Language Center in Ajsevica and 
will now move to United Arab Emirates to establish 
their school. 
 
6. POC is MAJ Scott Fredericksen at +386-1-471-2165, 
FAX 471-1577, or email scott.fredericksen@us.army.mil. 
REGARDS. 
HAAS 
 
 
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 2005LJUBLJ00302 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED 


 
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