PMCI: When and where did you start running your courses?
Everything began back in the year 1991 when my country declared
independence to split away from the now ex-Yugoslavian republic
and war for my country erupted. My courses started in Slovenia
and then spread to some European countries and Australia.
PMCI: Who do you see as your target customer for your
courses?
There is a room for anyone who’s brave enough to endure their
own true personality, psychology and other capabilities, but they
work best with the people whose life just might depend on it,
mostly military SF units, reconnaissance units, combat pilots, air
crews, Snipers, Swat teams and private Military contractors.
One of the problems we have in the modern world is the
individual who has become a member of the “Playstation
Generation” and sadly this also affects a number of soldiers.
They are all soldiers on sunny days, but when the rain comes
they prefer playing soldiers in some first person action game on
the computer safe at home. My courses are designed to be hard
and robust; this brings the individual back to his roots, how his
forefathers survived hundreds if not thousands of years ago. It is
inside all of us “the inherent need to survive”; all I do is bring that
out in the individual and develop their skill set.
TRAINING: SSFN SERE TRAINING SCHOOL
who for too long now has relied on finding food and medicine on
a supermarket shelf. Eventually that silent call came to me and
very soon after that I left to live among Australian Aborigines
where I tested my beliefs and knowledge in the most challenging
environments for two years. Doing so I got confirmation that I was
right and got initiated and adopted into four different Aboriginal
tribes as the first white European to do so.
I strongly believe nothing comes without reason and my dream
was to become a reality and lead me to my own survival school
for Special Forces conducting S.E.R.E. and other Survival courses.
In general, I was lead into this path by curiosity simply because of
the magic of discovering and the thirst for knowledge. The SSFN is
the product of my early way of living and programs that I conduct
evolved from basic needs of any people facing survival situations.
My wide range of survival work, achievements and knowledge
behind all that, lead me towards a military interest. Eventually I
finished up training Special Operating units, members and other
military branches within my SSFN S.E.R.E. programme.
The Ministry of Defense requests my programs because I can give
them real insight to any units’ state, and also about the individual
and group psychological and physical standpoint. There is always
a huge psychological impact on every individual, from the initial
shock of isolation, the fear of capture, to when and how long it
will take to be rescued; as time goes on the fear of not finding
water and then food settles in, and all these factors have huge
psychological effects. I have to admit possession of survival skills
are also welcome to Rescue units, Civil Protection units, Mountain
Rescuers, Individual adventurers, War correspondents and the
like. As a big step forward, this year I will hold two major training
events; the first one is a huge International Rescue Unit EUROSAR-SURVIVAL training, and the second one is S.E.R.E. course
for the members of CISOR – (Confédération Interalliée des Sousofficiers de Réserve) - Interallied Confederation of Reserve NonCommissioned Officers.
If you visit my civil website page you will see I also have
numerous civil programs that anyone can take part in and
experience.
PMCI: I know that you have excellent training facilities that
you make use of throughout Europe; can you tell me more
about them and what you do there?
Slovenia covers many different environmental areas; the Karst
area is dry and hot, and there are huge unbroken forest areas,
mountains and Alps. The terrain I use for conducting the basic
training course is one of the most environmentally intact areas
in Slovenia and known for its vast variety of wildlife, mostly
populated by high number of bears, wolves and wild boars. In
some ways, these are my companions during any Survival training
as they help to instil fear and vulnerability into the individual
and to make them more aware of the reality of a real survival
situation and their surroundings.
Regarding unit preparations for my training? There is no
upfront preparation for any military unit that has been sent to me
pmcimagazine.com