Leadership
BALTDEFCOL Commandant
Birth Data
Date of Birth: 06 June 1970
Place of Birth: Klaipėda, Lithuania
Civilian Education
Master of Political Sciences, Lithuania (2013)
Major Military Education
Royal Danish Military Academy, Frederiksberg, Denmark (1998 - 2000)
Royal Danish Defense College, Copenhagen, Denmark (2007-2008)
NATO Defense College, Rome (2013-2014)
Ranks
1992 Sergeant
1993 2nd Lieutenant
1995 Lieutenant
1998 1st Lieutenant
2000 Captain
2003 Major
2009 Lieutenant Colonel
2012 Colonel
2021 Brigadier General
Military Service
1988-1990 Mandatory military service in the Soviet Army
1991 Joined Lithuanian National Volunteers Forces
1992 Platoon Sergeant (Infantry)/Klaipeda, Dragoon Battalion
1993 Platoon Leader (Infantry)/ Klaipeda, Dragoon Battalion
1994 Deputy Company Commander (Infantry)/Klaipeda, Dragoon Bn
1995 Company Commander (Infantry)/Klaipeda, Dragoon Battalion
2000 S3 officer/Klaipeda, Dragoon Bn.
2001 Chief of Staff/Klaipeda, Dragoon Battalion
2003-2007 Defence Attaché to Denmark, Sweden and Norway.
2008 Artillery Battalion Commander/”Iron Wolf” Mech.Inf. Brigade, Rukla.
2010 Chief of Staff/”Iron Wolf” Mechanized Infantry Brigade, Rukla.
2012 Director of the Second Investigation Department under the Ministry of National Defence
2016 Defence, Military, Naval and Air Attaché in USA and Canada
2020 Commanding Officer of Training and Doctrine Command
International Deployments
Commanding Officer of PRT in Gowr Province/Afghanistan/ISAF/2009
Foreign Languages
English, Danish, Russian
Marital Status
Married to Laura, has two daughters
Contact
+372 717 6401
College Sergeant Major/Director of CSELC
CSM Tamošiūnas was born on the 8th of April 1973. He was drafted into the Armed Forces of Lithuania as a conscript in 1994. After one year of service, he enlisted in the Armed Forces. Other duty assignments include Squad Leader, Deputy platoon Commander, Platoon Commander, Signal platoon Commander, S2/3 SNCO, Chief of force protection of AF Air Base, Senior specialist for foreign engagements of AF Airbase, and Command Sergeant Major of AF Air defence battalion. He served a tour of three years in NATO HQ Brussels, Belgium. He was the administrative assistant to the Military representative of the Permanent Lithuanian Delegation to NATO (to major general). CSM Alvydas Tamošiūnas was deployed to Afghanistan in the year 2013 for a seven-month tour as an administrator of the Air advisor team (AAT5 as part of USAF 438 AEW 738 AEAG) NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Kandahar. From 3rd August 2015 to the 8th of May 2023, he was a Chief Master Sergeant of the Lithuanian Air Force – Command senior enlisted leader. CSM Alvydas Tamošiūnas is the author of a number of historical and military topical-related articles that were published in history scientific volumes and in military and civilian periodical media.
CSM Tamošiūnas’ education includes training in military and civilian training facilities of Lithuania, Belgium, Hungary, Latvia, Netherlands, and USA. He is a graduate of the USAF SNCO Academy in 2009 (class 09 D) and graduate of the Pilot CSEL course of the Baltic Defence College in 2019. CSM Tamošiūnas holds a History Master’s degree.
CSM Tamošiūnas awards and decorations include: Ministry of Defense Medal for Deployment on International Missions; Ministry of Defense Commemorative Medal of Lithuania's Accession to NATO; Armed Forces Medal of Merit; Armed Forces level Medal "For Outstanding Service"; Armed Forces level Medal "For Outstanding Service" (with Bronze Pillars); Medal of the Founding Volunteers of the Lithuanian Army; Badge "For Merit of People Security" of Firefighting Department to Ministry of the Interior of The Republic of Lithuania; NATO Air Policing Czech AF Detachment's Commemorative Medal; NATO ISAF Medal; Lithuanian Armed Forces Medal "100 Years for the Re-established Lithuanian Armed Forces", Lithuanian Armed Forces Medal for Merit.
CSM Tamošiūnas was among the first senior enlisted leaders that US AF Air University enshrined as its leader graduates, along with officer alumni, into the Chief of Staff and Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force International Honor Roll during a ceremony at the Maxwell Club, April 13, 2022 and later was also inducted on the International Honor Roll wall in the Air Force Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy on Maxwell’s Gunter Annex, memorializing their accomplishments.
Contact
+372 717 6429
BALTDEFCOL Dean
Col (ret) Dr (hab) Śliwa is the Dean at the Baltic Defence College. He holds a PhD in Military Science from the National Defence University in Warsaw. He completed his education in Poland’s military institutions, including the Mechanised Forces Military Academy and the National Defence University. He was also educated abroad, including at the United States Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth and the People’s Liberation Army National Defence University’s Centre of Strategic Studies in Beijing.
During his military service, Dr Śliwa commanded units up to the battalion level and also served at the operational level as the Chief of Operational Branch J3 in the KFOR Headquarters in Pristina in Kosovo and also the Chief of Operational Planning Branch J5 in the Polish Armed Forces Operational Command in Warsaw. When working for Polish military educational institutions, he was the Chief of Combat Service Support Chair, Land Forces Military Academy in Wroclaw and the Head of Military Studies Department at the National Defence University in Warsaw. Since it began in 2009, Dr Śliwa has been involved in the Latvian National Defence Academy-Baltic Defence College Master’s Degree as a supervisor.
Areas of Expertise
Contemporary military operations
International relations
Central Asian Security
Indo-Pacific affairs
Selected Publications
Zdzisław Śliwa, The Impact of Russian Aggression Against Ukraine on Estonian Security, University of Warsaw, Studies in European Affairs, 2023, Issue 4, pp. 71-92.
Zdzisław Śliwa, From Deterrence to Defence – Security Challenges for the Baltic States (Od odstraszania do obrony – wyzwania bezpieczeństwa państw bałtyckich), Vol. 2023/43, National Security Bureau, Warsaw, pp. 9-40.
Zdzisław Śliwa, Louis Wierenga, Facing an unknown future – The Baltic countries’ destiny, in: Aleksandra Kuczyńska-Zonik, Tomasz Stępniewski (eds.), The Baltic states and new security challenges in flux, Institute of Central Europe’s Policy Papers, Vol. 3, Lublin 2023, pp. 11-40, https://ies.lublin.pl/
Zdzisław Śliwa, Mariusz Antoni Kamiński, Poland’s Threat Assessment: Deepened, Not Changed; PRISM Vol 10 No 2, 2023, National Defense University Press, Washington D.C., https://ndupress.ndu.edu/PRISM/PRISM-10-2/
Zdzisław Śliwa, Shota Gvineria, Batu Kutelia, The Changing Geopolitical Tides of the Black Sea, in Sandis Šrāders, George Spencer Terry (eds.), The Winter of Russia’s Discontent. Russia’s Futures from Within and Without, Baltic Defence College, The Conference on Russia Papers 2023, University of Tartu Press 2023, pp. 109 - 126.
Zdzisław Śliwa, China’s Footprint in the Baltic Sea Region: The Cases of Sweden and Estonia; in: Olevs Nikers, Otto Tabuns (editors) Between Brussels and Beijing. The Transatlantic Response to the Chinese Presence in the Baltic Sea Region; The Jamestown Foundation, Washington, DC, December 2022, pp. 13-35.
Zdzisław Śliwa, The Critical Synergy Between Technology and People in Warfare – The Russian Armed Forces Performance During War in Ukraine, Wiedza Obronna Vol 281, No 4/2022, Warsaw 2022, pp. 53-70, DOI: https://doi.org/10.34752/2022-d281
Zdzisław Śliwa, Hans Helseth, Viljar Veebel, The Baltic Sea Islands and Their Impact on the Regional Security, Centrum Balticum Foundation, BSR Policy Briefing series 10/2022, Turku, October 2022
Zdzislaw Sliwa, NATO and Baltic Security, Olevs Nickers and Otto Tabuns (eds); Baltic Sea Security Regional and Sectoral Perspectives, The Jamestown Foundation, Washington D.C. May 2021.
Zdzislaw Sliwa, Eugeniusz Cieślak, Internal Security in Poland after 2015. Threats and Responses, Proceedings of the Estonian Academy of Security Sciences. No 18/2020, Tallinn 2020.
Zdzislaw Sliwa, The Arctic Council as a Forum for Peaceful Cooperation in the Arctic, Rocznik Bezpieczeństwa Międzynarodowego, Vol. 14/2020, No 2, Dolnośląska Szkoła Wyższa,Wroclaw 2020, DOI: https://doi.org/10.34862/rbm.2020.2.12
Zdzislaw Sliwa, Nurlan Aliyew, Strategic Competition or Possibilities for Cooperation Between the United States and Russia in the Arctic, The Journal of Slavic Military Studies, Volume 33/2020, Issue 2.
Zdzislaw Sliwa, Viljar Veebel, Illimar Ploom, The NATO “Defender 2020” Exercise in the Baltic States: Will Measured Escalation Lead to Credible Deterrence or Provoke an Escalation? Comparative Strategy, Volume 39/2020, Issue 4.
Zdzislaw Sliwa, Viljar Veebel, The Suwalki Gap, Kaliningrad and Russia’s Baltic Ambitions, Scandinavian Journal of Military Studies, Volume 2 Issue 1/2019, pp. 111–121. Special Collection: Anti-Access/Area Denial in the Baltic Sea Region, 21 August 2019. (Journal of International Studies, 12(3) 2019, 109-121. doi:10.14254/2071-8330.2019/12-3/9).
Zdzislaw Sliwa, Chapter 12: Poland. NATO’s East European frontline nation, published in: Nora Vanaga, Toms Rostoks (eds.), Deterring Russia in Europe. Defence Strategies for Neighbouring States, ISBN 9781351250634, London Routledge, September 2018.
Zdzislaw Sliwa, Col Professor Leszek Elak. 2017. The Suwalki Gap – NATO's fragile hot spot. Published by: The Scientific Quarterly No 2 Vol. 103, The War Studies University, Warsaw, Poland.
Zdzislaw Sliwa, Prof. Andrzej Bujak. 2017.Global aspects of security environment — the ‘One Belt, One Road’ project. Published by: Economics and Law Vol 15, No 4 (2016), Nicolaus Copernicus University, Torun, Poland.
Zdzislaw Sliwa. 2016. CHINA’S SECURITY CONCEPT OF ANTI-ACCESS /AREA-DENIAL – AA/AD Published in: The Scientific Journal No 2(26), The Polish Air Force Academy, Dublin.
Śliwa, Zdzisław. 2015. Uwarunkowania bezpieczeństwa Chin na początku XXI wieku (The security environment of China at the beginning of the XXI Century), Wyższa Szkoła Oficerska Sił Powietrznych (Polish Air Force Academy), Dęblin 2015, 334 s., ISBN 978-83-64636-33-2, monography.
Śliwa, Zdzisław, Antczak Anna, Zaniewski Rafał, 2015. Wojna XXI Wieku. Początki wojny „trzeciej fali” (The War of the 21st Century. The Beginnings of the War of the ”Third Wave”), published by Vizja Press&IT, 234 p., Warsaw 2015. ISBN 978-83-62855-57-5, monography.
Śliwa Zdzislaw and Załęski, Krzysztof, 2015. Air Power Role in Asia (status, trends), the Air Force Academy, Dęblin, Poland
Śliwa, Zdzisław. 2015. Kształtowanie bezpieczeństwa militarnego Azji Centralnej (Development of Central Asia Military Security). Deblin: The Air Force Academy, 2015.
Śliwa, Zdzisław, 2014. chapter 12: The fields of development of Polish relations with Asian countries (Obszary rozwoju relacji Polski z krajami azjatyckimi); and chapter 15: The Polish Armed Forces contribution to operations outside the country (Udział Sił Zbrojnych RP w operacjach poza granicami kraju); in: Anna Antczak-Barzan (ed.), Projekt „POLSKA” Silne i bezpieczne państwo? (Project „POLAND” - Strong and safe country?), Science –research project, Wyższa Szkoła Finansów i Zarządzania w Warszawie (Finance and Management University in Warsaw), Vizja Press&IT, Warsaw 2014.
Śliwa, Zdzisław and Górnikiewicz, Marcin. 2013. Security Cooperation between Poland and the Baltic Region. Baltic Security and Defence Review. 2013, 15, 2.
Śliwa, Zdzisław. 2013. Zapad 2013: The Russian Armed Forces Flexes its Muscles. Fort Leavenworth, Kansas: Foreign Military Studies Office, 2013.
Śliwa, Zdzisław and Gabrielsson, Risto. 2013. Baltic Region Energy Security – The Trouble with European Solidarity. Baltic Security and Defence Review. 2013, 15, 1.
Śliwa, Zdzisław. 2012. Kierunki rozwoju Szanghajskiej Organizacji Współpracy (Future developments of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation). Warsaw: National Defence University, 2012.
Śliwa, Zdzisław and Załęski, Krzysztof. 2012. Rola sił powietrznych Chin w regionie (Role of the Chinese Air Force in Asia). Bellona, 2012, 3.
Śliwa, Zdzisław and Brążkiewicz, Dariusz. 2011. Azja: Konflikty i zagrożenia bezpieczeństwa (Asia: Conflicts and Security Threats). Warsaw: National Defence University, 2011.
Śliwa, Zdzisław and Brążkiewicz, Dariusz. 2011. Współczesne uwarunkowania bezpieczeństwa Azji (Contemporary Asian Security Considerations). Warsaw: National Defence University, 2011.
Languages
Polish, English and RussianContact
+372 717 6408