THE BODY of Slovak military medical specialist Rastislav Neplech, who was killed in a bomb attack in Iraq on the night of November 10, arrived by aircraft at M.R. Stefanik airport in Bratislava late in the afternoon of November 13.
Neplech’s two children, widowed wife and parents laid a wreath of flowers on his coffin, which was draped with the Slovak flag. Slovak Defence Minister Frantisek Kašický, Slovak Armed Forces Chief of General Staff Ľubomír Bulík and Interior Minister Robert Kaliňák all attended the ceremony. A military funeral will be held on Thursday, November 16, in Martin.
Kasicky said that in spite of Neplech’s death he was in favour of the continued presence of the Slovak Armed Forces in foreign missions, but noted that the security of Slovak soldiers remains the foremost consideration.
"It is necessary for Slovak soldiers to take part in missions as it allows them to obtain new combat experience and strategies. The missions are also opportunities to improve their language skills and professional military qualifications. We have to dispatch them knowing that we have done everything possible to minimise the dangers," Kašický said.
