Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, General Philippe Lavigne, visited the NATO EOD COE

On December 20th, General Philippe Lavigne, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (SACT), accompanied by the Chief of the General Staff of the Slovak Republic, honored the NATO Explosive Ordnance Disposal Center of Excellence (EOD COE) with an official visit. The director of EOD COE, Colonel František Mihalovič, welcomed SACT and his delegation. During the meeting, Colonel Mihalovič informed them about the Centre's mission, vision, history and way ahead.

Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Hugyár, head of the Education and Training Department, briefed the delegation on the main training activities and course system. The last part of the visit was dedicated to one of EOD COE's main projects – the Virtual Reality Training Kit for EOD operators, also known as ETACS. The project manager, 2LT Slatkovsky, provided general information about the project and its future goals, followed by a demonstration of the software development's progress. The SACT and other participants were deeply interested in the idea of the project and highlighted its importance for the future of EOD and the military as a whole. They encouraged the EOD COE personnel to remain engaged in technological advancements.

Photo: MSgt Peter Bulko