Alexander Schober Becomes New NATO Force Integration Unit Commander in Slovakia

Bratislava, 8 January (TASR) - Colonel Alexander Schober has become the new commander of the NATO Force Integration Unit (NFIU) in Slovakia, replacing Colonel Marian Kurilla in this post. Schober took over command of the team at the Vajnory Barracks in Bratislava on Thursday, in line with a routine planned change. "Although the NFIU is a small unit with 41 posts and eight different nationalities from NATO-member countries, it's extremely important," said Defence Ministry State Secretary Martin Vojtasovic after the ceremony, explaining that the integration team isn't a combat unit and is primarily concerned with coordination. Kurilla said that the NFIU has moved forward since he took up the post more than three years ago. "This was due to two factors. First, there were the requirements that came from NATO, and second, there was the support of the Slovak Republic and other countries," he said. The NFIU provides support to NATO defence forces in the region. Its tasks include identifying logistical capabilities and coordinating the rapid deployment of troops. The Slovak unit was formally set up in 2016 and became fully operational a year later. am/df