Revised War Veterans Act opens the way for better care for country’s war heroes
The Czech Republic is catching up on its obligations to soldiers, police officers and diplomats who served on dangerous foreign missions. An amendment to the War Veterans Act, which took effect on September 3, will give them more benefits and greater moral recognition.
Markéta Burgetová helps care for her brother, a former special forces soldier, who underwent brain surgery in 2023 and is unable to walk. She says Josef needs rehabilitation and a caregiver on a daily basis. The new social services allowance could help cover these costs. Robert Speychal, head of the Ministry of Defence’s Veterans Department, explains some of the changes introduced.
“The amendment introduces two kinds of changes. The visible ones, like the extra benefits, and then the less visible ones, focusing on the work of the agency helping veterans, specific programs, community care, and so on. For that we are drawing a lot of inspiration from abroad. Among the visible measures is that we revised the allowances available. The 25,000 crowns veterans can request annually can now be spent on a broader range of needs - spa treatment, dental care, nutritional services, psychological care and so on.
“And then there’s a completely new allowance for veterans who need permanent care — whether in residential facilities or home care. They have to meet strict criteria, but it can amount to as much as 25,000 crowns a month. We already know that most of the World War II veterans will qualify, and they will receive it.”
Another important change is the possibility of applying for war veteran status in memoriam. A total of 30 soldiers -29 male and one female - have died on Czech army foreign missions in the country’s modern history. However, most of them have not officially been declared war veterans. Colonel Robert Speychal explains why this is so.
“Until now, the War Veterans Act required that the veterans themselves apply for the status. Of course, most of them never did during their lifetime. Some were killed on their first foreign mission. The new amendment changes that. From now on, relatives or veteran associations can request a veteran certificate for fallen soldiers. Not only will it afford the moral recognition which they deserve but it will help their families who will be eligible to receive support from the Military Solidarity Fund.”
In line with the new legislation, the Czech War Veterans Association has now requested that the status of war veteran be granted to the thirty soldiers killed in foreign missions.
War veterans include not only soldiers but also police officers and diplomats who have either spent 90 days on a mission in an armed conflict zone, such as Afghanistan, or 360 days in other foreign missions, such as in the Baltics. Currently, there are just under 17,000 war veterans in the Czech Republic, including 52 from World War II.
