Slovenia becomes only NATO state with female army chief
Slovenia on Tuesday became the only NATO country whose army is headed by a woman.
LJUBLJANA (AFP) - Slovenia on Tuesday became the only NATO country whose army is headed by a woman with the appointment of Major General Alenka Ermenc as chief of staff.
President Borut Pahor, the country s commander-in-chief, welcomed Ermenc s appointment and said he expected her to start improving the army s current poor state, blamed largely on underfunding.
"Major General Ermenc s appointment was proposed based on her experience as a commander of Slovenian army units, for her contribution for establishing a professional army force and her civil and military education," the government said in a statement.
A Slovenian army brigade earlier this year failed NATO s combat readiness test being assessed as "not combat ready". The note was improved after additional training and new tests were carried out.
Currently serving as the army s deputy-chief of staff, Ermenc, 55, will officially take over the job on Wednesday.
She will replace outgoing Major General Alan Geder, who has been in post since February.
Ermenc, a mother of three, graduated from the Royal College of Defence Studies in London and went on to complete a Master s degree in International Studies at London s King s College University.
She started her military career as a member of the Territorial Forces that played a key role in winning Slovenia s independence from Yugoslavia in 1991.
