of Czechoslovakia, remaining a member until the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia in 1989. He later cooperated with dissidents such as Luboš Dobrovský and and referred to his membership in the Communist Party as a mistake, which he atoned for by serving the democratic cause. In 1988, Pavel joined the military intelligence service and continued his studies in a course for intelligence officers at the Military Academy in Brno (later united with the University of Defence) from 1988 to 1991. After the Velvet Revolution, he studied at Defense Intelligence College in Bethesda, Staff College in Camberley, Royal College of Defence Studies in London, and graduated from King's College London with a Master's degree in international relations. Military career Serving in the United Nations Protection Force After graduating, from 1991 to 1993 Pavel worked in the Military Intelligence service of the General Staff of the Czechoslovak Armed Forces. Pavel served in the 1st Czechoslovak Batallion of the United Nations Protection Force in Bosnia. In January 1993, his unit was sent as part of the evacuation of Karin Base, a French military post under siege by Serbian troops. The French Army was unable to evacuate the base because the local infrastructure and bridge had been destroyed, and the unit from the combined Czech and Slovak Batallion (last Czechoslovak military unit) was sent to conduct the evacuation as they were stationed only 30 kilometres from Karin Base. Pavel went to the base with 29 soldiers and two OT-64 SKOT armoured personnel carriers. During the two-hour journey, his unit faced various obstacles that slowed down the operation, including fallen trees which soldiers had to remove from the road while under mortar fire. When the unit reached Karin Base, two French soldiers were already dead and several others wounded. Eventually, 55 French soldiers were evacuated from the base in armed transporters. Pavel was recognized and decorated by both the Czech Republic and France for his conduct of the rescue. Senior management career After the operation in Bosnia, Pavel served in various positions in the Czech Army, including military intelligence and diplomacy. He represented the Czech Republic in several military diplomatic positions in Belgium, the Netherlands, and the United States. From 1993 to 1994, Pavel was the deputy military attaché of the Czech Republic in Belgium. From 1999 to 2002, he was the representative at the NATO headquarters in Brunssum. In 2003, he served as the National