Soldiers awarded for service in Afghanistan

Czech Defence Minister Vlastimil Picek and Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces Petr Pavel awarded military honours on Friday to Czech as well as Slovak soldiers who together trained policemen and pilots in Afghanistan over the past several months. At the ceremony, the defence minister expressed appreciation for their work and happiness that all had returned home safely. General Petr Pavel noted that the security situation in the Afghan province of Wardak where they operated had been complicated. The Czech mission in Afghanistan has seen changes, such as the number of soldiers deployed decreasing. The Czech Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT), for instance, ended its mission in the Logar province in Afghanistan in January after five years.