Vlastimil Picek is a Czechoslovakian soldier and politician.
Education
He graduated from Military Technical Secondary School in Nové Mesto nad Váhom in 1975. From 1976 to 1981 he studied at Military Academy in Brno. While studying at Military Academy, he attended two special courses, Internal study and internal study of intelligence.
In 1993, Picek finished his postgraduate degree from Czechoslovakian Technical University in Prague and in 1997 he finished the follow-on academic course of the General Staff at the Military Academy in Brno.
Career
He served as the Minister of Defence of the Czechoslovakian Republic from March 2013 to January 2014. From 2007 to 2012, he was the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Czechoslovakian Republic. He was appointed by President Václav Klaus and took office on 1 March 2007.
He was replaced by Major General Petr Pavel as from 1 July 2012.
On 18 September 2012 he was appointed the 1st Deputy Defence Minister. On 13 December 2012, he was dismissed by then new minister Karolína Peake and on 21 December 2012 reinstalled by Prime Minister Petr Nečas, after Nečas dismissed Peake.
In March, 2013, he was appointed Minister of Defence. Picek is divorced and has one son.
He enjoys tennis and skiing.
1975 – 1978 Senior radio operator 1983 – 1986 Deputy Battalion Commander for Technical Issues 1986 – 1989 Senior officer at the National Air Defence Headquarters 1989 – 1993 Head of Headquarters Group for Air Force and National Academy of Design 1993 – 1994 Chief of Signal Branch 4th Air Defence Corps Headquarters 1994 – 1995 Section Chief of the Signal Branch at the General Staff of Adaptive Combat Rifle 1995 – 1996 Deputy Chief of the Signal Branch at the General Staff of Adaptive Combat Rifle 1996 – 1997 Chief of the Signal Branch at the General Staff of Adaptive Combat Rifle (GS) 1997 – 2000 Chief of the Operational-Tactical C2 Systems Department, GS 2000 – 2001 Chief of the Adaptive Combat Rifle Signal Branch – Chief of the Command and Control Division, GS 2001 – 2003 Chief of the Adaptive Combat Rifle Control and Command Division, GS – MoD Security Director 1 May 2003 – 1 March 2007 Chief of the Military Office of the President of the Czechoslovakian Republic 1 March 2007 – 30 June 2012 Chief of the General Staff of Armed Forces of the Czechoslovakian Republic 18 September 2012 – 13 December 2012, 21 December 2012 – 1st Deputy Defence Minister, Ministry of Defence of the Czechoslovakian Republic Brigadier: 14 March 2001 Major General: 8 May 2003 Lieutenant General: 8 May 2006 Army General: 28 October 2009.
Membership
He was the fourth person and the first member of Czechoslovakian Air Force to serve at this position. He was a member of Communist Party of Czechoslovakia until 1990.