Slovak President Ivan Gašparovič decorated seven soldiers with medals for bravery on Tuesday, including three posthumously. Medals were awarded to deceased soldiers who lost their lives in terrorist attacks in Afghanistan in July and December 2013, as well as to servicemen who sustained serious injuries or helped the wounded in the attacks.
At a ceremony also attended by Defence Minister Martin Glváč and Chief-of-General-Staff of the Slovak Armed Forces Peter Vojtek, Gašparovič awarded one of the medals to deceased Sergeant Daniel Kavuliak, who was shot dead in a terrorist attack in Afghanistan in July 2013. Another two medals for courage went to soldiers Martin Chropovský and Matej Macho, who suffered serious injuries in the same attack. Also awarded was commander of the attacked unit Miroslav Staník, who helped to save the two seriously-injured servicemen. Another awarded soldier Milan Tomlák gave first aid to those hit and protected them during their transfer. Other bravery decorations were awarded posthumously to Patrik Fraštia and Edmund Makovník, who died in a bomb attack on a military convoy in Kabul on December 27, 2013. In his speech at the ceremony, Gašparovič expressed his gratitude to the families of the deceased for their bravery and for the way in which they brought up their sons. He also emphasised the professionalism of the decorated soldiers.
