PARAMILITARY TRAINING

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00046R000500130002-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 3, 2013
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: June 16, 1955
• Content Type: REPORT

e? ?
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/09/27: CIA-RDP82-00046R000500130002-0
INFORMATION REPORT INFORMATION REPORT
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
This material contains information affecting the National Defense of the United States within the meaning of the Espionage Laws, Title
18, U.S.C, Secs. 793 and 794, the transmission or revelation of which in any manner to an unauthorized person is prohibited by law.
COUNTRY Czechoslovakia REPORT NO.
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SUBJECT
Paramilitary Training
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DATE DISTR.
NO. OF PAGES
16 June 195,
7
DATE OF INFO.
REQUIREMENT NO.
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PLACE ACQUIRED
REFERENCES
DATE ACQUIRED
SOURCE EVALUATIONS ARE DEFINITIVE. APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
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Attached is
as received
STATE
ARMY
NAVY
#x
AIR
#x
FBI AEC
(Note: Washington distribution indicated by "X"; Field distribution by "#".)
INFORMATION REPORT INFORMATION REPORT
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/09/27: CIA-RDP82-00046R000500130002-0
IN\
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CONFIDENTIAL
COUNTRY Czechoslovakia
SUBJECT Paramilitary Training
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DATE OF INFORMATION
PLACE ACQUIRED
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
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REPORT
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DATE DISTR. 18 May 1955
NO. OF PAGES 6
REFERENCES:
1,
NATIONAL ORGANIZATION OF SVAZARM
General Characteristics
the Association for Cooperation with the Army
Ovazarm - avaz pro spolupraci s armadou) was introduced in Czecho-
slovakia in or about July 1952, Its purpose, he stated, was to
educate its members in skills needed for defense of the homeland in
the event of a war.
2. Prior to the introduction of Svazarm, various sport clubs existed
in Czechoslovakia, such as the Czechoslovak Atito Club, Radio-
telegraphers' Club, Dog Training Club, Carrier Pigeon Trainers'
Club, and Glider Pilots' Club named Doslet (Voluntary Association
of People's Aviation - Dobrovolny svaz lidoveho letectvy). In the
summer of 1952 all such sports clubs and their property were nation-
alized and reorganized into Svazarm.
Svazarm was a purely civilian organization and was not subordinate
to the army. However, supplies, such as rifles, ammunition, grenades
and the use of airbase facilities including runways and landing
strips were contributed by the army. The regional Svazarm Secre-
tariat supplied various individual glider clubs with material for
repairs, parachlutessand glider tow ropes. Membership fee in the
Svazarm Aero club was 200 crowns per year (old currency) and it
was open to both sexes from age 16 on.
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The Svazarm Aero club had a national publication entitled "Kridla
vlastin (Wings of the Homeland) which was published bi-weekly.
Non-Military Training
the following non-military train-
ing was available through Svazarm: glider flying course, a radio-
telegraphers' course, a parachutist COUrse? a dog trainers' course,
a pigeon handling course, and an automotive course. Mortally, the
various Svazarm course groups had their regular meeting places in.
dependent from other courses. Training was Conducted at these meet-
ing places.
6. Every course was headed by a committee which was subordinate to the
? district Stazarm secretariat. District secretariats were subordinate
to regional centers which, in turn, were subordinate to the central
Svazarm office in Prague. The country was divided into 10 Svazarm
regions whichvin'thrn, were sub-divided into dittriots. The in-
struction or each Svazarm section was conducted by one of its members
and was performed as a patriotic duty. Instructors received no pay.
Military Training jay Clubs
Two types of military training were offered by the Svazarm clubs
and this may also have been
general for all Svazarm clubs in Czechoslovakia. These two types
Wete prei.indUCtion training and general training of all Svazarm club
members regardless of previous military service. General training
was compulaory for the members of source's Svazarm Acro club.
8, The Aero club regulations provided that all members had to take one-
half hour of general military training before each glider flying
Practice period. Training itself consisted of close-order drill,
preliminary instruction on rifle firing, and grenade throwing. Each
training session was conducted by a club member who had completed
his compulsory military training and was in the Army reserve. Each
training period was devoted to only one subject.
further information on this type of training.
Pre-induction military training was given in a special branch of
Svazarm called Akoleni brance(reCrult training).'
preinductiOn_physical'in, Prerov (N 49-27, E 17-27) in
?t that time, those who passed the phyaical.
were automatically assigned to this Om*.
ey were a ao encouraged to join a non-military Svazarm section
Of"their ch0100,.but this Was not' dotptlsorr.
la.: During the interval between the first preinduction physical exam
1.00$4"4.a#0 actually reporting for active 7,
0 1
Written invitation about .900 a Month from district militaryheadquarters, staved with t.SYazarm seal, rich read as follows:
present for the recruit training (skoleni branoe) at 0800 :hours
at (location designated)". The skOleni branoe given by Svazarm was 50;00
always *scheduled for Sunday mornings and Was held in the local
brewery, which had an adjoining large dance hall and a yard. I 50:00
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12.
13,
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14.
Uniforms and Insisnia
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no special uniforms were issued to Svazarm
members in Prerov. Members received only a cloth insigne printed
in several colors and elliptical in shape. It was worn over the
left breast pocket on civilian clothes by members desiring to do
so. For a detailed sketch of th
report.
Possible Svazarm CiVil Defense Training
. _
did not know whether or not Svazarm had
any civil defense program, although
bility of it because of the following incident.
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any connection with 50X1
there was a posal-
the rest oenter director, Vlastimil Strnad, who was about
55 years old and an ardent Communist, was a ointed as a civil
defense trustee by some authority unknown L Itrad was
scheduled to attend civil defense training some me in the summer
of 1954 at the Svazarm secretariat located in Uhersky Brod (N 49-
02, E 17-39), However, because of an accident, Strnad was indis-
posed I
LOCAL SVAZARM ACTIVITIES. IN PBEHOV
gliger Flying Section
The Prerov glider flying course group had a club house located in
a former restaurant where they held their weekly committee meetings
as well as pre-flight instructions. The name of the former restau-
rant was Amerika, and it was a one-story stucco building approxi-
mately 15 x 8 m. The Svazarm Aero clubohoweverjhad rented only
two rooms of this building, one of which, approximately four by
three meters, was set aside as a storage room where nine arachu
and about six old army rifles, CZ Model 24, were kept,
the Aero club received the items listed above rom the
Svazarm secretariat in Olomouc. The Prerov Svazarm Aero club also
had two cars -- a Mercedes and a Hudson. These were used to take
members to the local or neighboring l airports and to the e
mountains from where glidara WPrA fIntan
members of
the club committee were eit-ted once a year and that they served
a one year term.
L5. The Aero club was headed by Zdenek Zboril? approximate age 35,
until October 1953. From October 1953 until the end of January
1954, it was led by Fritz (fnu), approximate age 35; and from
the end of January 1954 until August 1954,
Joseph Walser, approximate age 3y, was in charge. Aside from
being in charge of the club, these men were also glider flying
Instructors at the same time, since they were veteran glider pilots.
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...avvo.Noit4W Wi JiIJ.D orb.=
regular training schedules
were issued by the district secretariat, which prescribed various
phases of training to be completed each month. Written monthly
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neclassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/09/27: CIA-RDP82-00046R000500130002-0
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reports in compliance with such directives were submitted to the
secretariat by member clubs.
17. Only 10 percent of the total membership of the Aero club was excused
from such military training, according to the regulations then in
force. In Prerov? the former Doslet (now Svazarm) members were
included in this 20 percent and thereby avoided such training,
which was disliked by all members. The former Doslet members,
numbering about 15, constituted the backbone of the Prerov Aero
club, since they not only instructed new members in glider flying
but were members of the club committee as well. About seven of the
former Doslet members who were between the ages of 23 and 35 had
completed thei compulsory military service; the rest were 18 years
old.
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18. In order to assure themselves of continued glider flying and to avoid
military drills, a campaign to increase membership was conducted by
club members. The recruiting drive was organized by the man in
charge of the club committee. Approximatg1y2OLnawni1mhers, average
age 18 years, were signed Up prior but, only
90 showed up to attend the pre-fligny course. There were no female
members in the Prerov Aero club.
19. The pre-flight course lasted 40 weeka- with four hours of instruction
each week. This basic pre-flight course covered the following
subjects; navigation, aerodynamics, theory of flight, and meteor-
ology. Only upon completion Of this course were new members per-
mitted to start glider flying. However, out of the 90 members who
started this course, only five completed it. The rest lost
interest g dropped out, and were members on paper only,
20, ?The Prerov Aero club had an assigned hangar at the local Army
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3.
'Approximately
500
airbase, where they stored
of the following marks:
Gruno-Baby, and Gruno-Baby
The Army Air Force personnel
very cooperative with
monthly meetings, an Air
charge of operations at
a schedule for glider
PeTatrom Section
six gliders.
Kmotrop
IIc.
of
the local
Force major
Prerov airbase
flying was
of
club's
The
Sohaj-25, Sohaj-125,
the Prerov airbase
SvazSral_AerO_olub.
was always
being discussed
the Paratroop
club had one each
Krajanek,
proved to be
At Aero club
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in
present while
and set up.
Section freauentiv
Due to the fact that members
borrowed the Svazarm Aero
parachutet
had about 30 members in all
were girls, all between the
was Mik (fnu),? a former
former assignment, and training
reservist. Members practiced
set aside for that nulft,ose,
The Parachute Section (or
25 were boys
ages of 18 and 24. The
Czech Army paratroop officer
unknown to source), now
their parachute jumping
located about one kilometer
the exact location of the
a week which lasted the
in night marahn, and were
club)
and five
chief (nacelnik)
(rank,
an inactive
at an area
from
training
entire afternoon.
armed with
exercises
airplane
Olomouc.
Prerov. ( know
area.) iney naa training twice
They also participated
SMG's (types and models un-
for parachute jumping
jumps they went to the Move
Preparatory
4mayea one year. For their
Sady civilian airport in
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Darf - aniti7ecl Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/09/27 CIA-RDP82-00046R000500130002-0
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50X1 The Svazarm Insigne
sketch of approximate size)
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Colors;
Overall background white
Star - red
Czechoslovak coat
of arms '(the lion) - silver
Hammer and sickle - gold
Wreath of linden
tree leaves _ green
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/09/27: CIA-RDP82-00046R000500130002-0