The stabilizing allowance should be increased for the members of the Special Forces of the Army of the Czech Republic provided the Government approves it. It is a reaction for the problems with recruiting for this unit, which imposes the most demanding requirements to its members. Its fulfilment has been long-term decreasing, and therefore the amount of the stabilizing allowance should be increased to 21.000 CZK. The fighters from this unit will get this sum; and others can count on a ten-thousand allowance.

The stabilizing allowance has to balance the competitive environment and to motivate soldiers for whom the army ensured special training in order to motivate them not to leave the army. According to the document submitted to the Government, the Special Forces have been having problems with recruiting to the unit for a longer time. While the number of soldiers has been increasing inter-annually since 2014, the 601st Group of the Special Forces (601.skss) has the opposite tendency. The current level of fulfilment is about 75%, what means a decreasing tendency compared to the last years. And maybe it is like a mirror of our society, especially with regard to physical preparedness of the younger generation.

Picture: Members of 601.skss in Afghanistan | 601skss.cz

Lieutenant-Colonel Ivo Zelinka, who is charged with the building of a new Airborne Regiment and got over a series of abroad military missions, often comments on social networks most of army activities, procurements or decisions. A wave of displeasure of a number of soldiers, former soldiers or citizens was dispersed after his explanations, when he rectifies source information and specifies who real a recipient of the stabilizing allowance is and why it is paid.

Picture: Lieutenant-Colonel Ivo Zelinka | Facebook / Ivo Zelinka

“For all who grumble about this measure in favour of operators of the Special Forces: 1. Please, become aware for what extremely narrow group of soldiers this stabilizing allowance will be determined. It’s significantly less than hundreds of persons. 2. If you think that service of operators of the Special Forces is comparable by its demandingness with service of a usual combat unit, you are mistaken. Of cause, nothing constrains you from participation in the selection procedure and to try to get it, too. By the way, these stabilizing allowances were considered precisely for this purpose, this is their original idea. I sincerely wish the boys from Prostějov to get it; they deserve it,“ answered Lieutenant-Colonel Zelinka to one of many questions, and added in conclusion: “The stabilizing allowance takes into consideration not only severity (within the meaning how much a soldier will suffer), but also “rarity” from the point of view of the Armed Forces, selectness (whether some or other part of the Armed Forces has different selection procedure from the rest), competition of the civil sector for the respective military qualification, the length and demandingness of education process, etc. In case of evaluation of only the first criterion, an absolutely different result can be given than in case of evaluation of the rest,“ he added.

Picture: If we apply combat functions of the 601.skss operators to the civil environment, they are top-managers, workaholics, absolutely committed to a company | 601skss.cz

The decision of the Army, respectively of the Ministry of Defence is more than logical. If we apply combat functions of the 601.skss operators to the civil environment, they are top-managers, workaholics, absolutely committed to a company, in which they work, they are loyal and can reach the highest results and have the absolute drive.