Vlastimil Picek

Vlastimil Picek ( born October 25, 1956 in Turnov ) is a Czech officer in the rank of general. On 28 October 2009 he was appointed Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic. Since March 2013 he is Minister of Defense of the Czech Republic.

Picek attended the University of Defence in Vyškov ( Vysoká Vojenská škola pozemního vojska ve výškové ), which he completed in 1981. In 1993, he began postgraduate studies at the Czech Technical University in Prague. At the same time he was appointed chief of the Signal Corps of the commands IV air defense corps in Stara Boleslav, before department heads in the staff department telecommunications system within the General Staff was a year later. From 1996 to 2001 he was head of the telecommunications group in the General Staff and Deputy Chief of Staff operational- tactical command systems and head of department leadership in the General Staff.

After several years working as a Director in the Ministry of Defence and Security director of the Military Office of the President, he was appointed Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic in 2009. In October 2011 Picek announced that he would retire from his post in the coming year. On July 1, 2012 Petr Pavel was appointed his successor as chief of staff.

After he served some time under Alexandr Vondra as Vice- Minister of Defense, he was released in December 2012 by the then newly appointed Defense Minister Karolina Peake from office. This step led to Prime Minister Petr Necas turn Peake deposed after just eight days in office again, even temporarily served as defense minister and Picek turn began as a deputy. Against the will of the leader of the coalition party LIDEM, Karolina Peake, Picek was appointed at the request of Premier Necas on March 19, 2013 by President Miloš Zeman as the new Minister of Defence of the Czech Republic. As the only incumbent Prime Picek remained even after the resignation Necas ' on 17 June 2013 following the Government of Jiří Rusnok in office.

Picek is no party. 1977 to 1990 he was a member of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia for career reasons.

Picek is divorced and the father of two sons.