Serving the homeland

"I went to the military gymnasium for the adventure and the feeling of becoming a 'big man.' The gymnasium led Petr Pavel to military activities, but in reality, it was just kids in uniforms. They had a military regime, which was hard to reconcile with as a free-spirited child, but at the same time, it gave him a lot of experience to avoid following. 'Examples to avoid are just as valuable as those to follow. Being in a situation where we are very depressed and realize that we would never do this, that we would never want to behave this way toward others, this moment is very inspiring,' explains Petr Pavel.

He grew up believing that the system we live in is the only possible one for us, and while alternatives existed somewhere, overall, the functioning of life west of our borders was not discussed. 'With the benefit of hindsight, we can ask ourselves how we ever accepted the regime in the past,' says General Pavel.

Who is gen. Petr Pavel?

Petr Pavel is a retired army general who reached the highest military positions both in the Czech Army – chief of the General Staff (2012–2015) – and in the North Atlantic Alliance – chairman of the NATO Military Committee (2015–2018). He was the first representative of post-communist states to be elected to this prestigious position. He began his military career in 1975 when he enrolled at the Military Gymnasium in Opava, then completed studies at the Army Ground Forces College in Vyškov, postgraduate intelligence studies at the Military Academy in Brno, the staff college in Camberley (UK), the Royal College of Defence Studies in London (2005), and King’s College London, where he earned a Master of Arts (M.A.) in international relations (2006).

He gained command experience with a special forces unit in Prostějov, joint forces, and as a representative of the Czech Army in international institutions. He participated in several foreign military missions and received numerous Czech Army decorations and high foreign orders for heroic acts, including the highest honors from France and the USA. Since retiring at the end of 2018, he has focused on lectures and promoting issues of security, defense, and foreign policy to help strengthen Czech society, making it cohesive and free from internal conflicts. He founded the association For a Safe Future and the initiative Stronger Together, which helps manage the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic.