Former Ministry of Defense undersecretary and current Estonian ambassador to the United States Kristjan Prikk spoke to ERR s Toomas Sildam about the pains, gains, connections and backgrounds of national defense. He also spoke on the decision to cut the Estonian Defense Forces (EDF) orchestra.
You graduated from University of Tartu with a degree in political sciences, have worked as an official in the defense and foreign affairs ministries and in the State Chancellery. How interesting has Estonian politics been for you?
Politics - what is happening in society - has always interested me. And there have certainly been more colorful times and more boring times in Estonian politics.
Today Estonian, United Kingdom and French troops are busy preparing for the annual Spring Storm exercise, the highlight of the training year, where we will be able to will reap the benefits of all the hard work we have put in to integration.
This is always the primary task of each NATO battlegroup. For example, we are now able to lay down joint fires and to synchronize operations. We have integrated training programs so that soldiers are constantly interacting and practicing their skills together, and we have developed deeper understanding and appreciation of each other´s procedures.
Looking to the future, we aim to bring additional capabilities to Estonia and give more soldiers the opportunity to experience the high-level of integration achieved here. For this year´s Spring Storm, officers from the headquarters of the British Army´s 20th Armored Infantry Brigade, including the brigade commander, will observe the exercise and plan for an increased level of participation
EDF personnel get ice hole escape drills practice in news.err.ee - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from news.err.ee Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Recruits from the Estonian Defense Forces (EDF) Scouts Battalion have been taking advantage of the recent cold spell to get in some ice breaking drills.
Over 200 members have taken part in the exercise, which involves leaping into the freezing water, exposed by a hole cut into the ice, and negotiating their way across to the other side before extricating themselves, all under the watchful eye of instructors.
Ice breaking drills instructor 2Lt Oliver Jõesaar says that initial reactions from first-timers can involve panic.
2Lt Jõesaar said, via an EDF press release, that: This is a controlled environment, and the experience gain from instructors and in the presence of medical personnel is useful not only in service life but also on civvy street.