BG Benka is a native of Trenčín, Slovakia. He was commissioned in 1993 when he was serving as a conscript. In 1995, he joined Slovakian SF unit (5th Special Forces Regiment – 5th SFR) located in Žilina. He is a graduate of the Slovak Military Academy within the Military Intelligence and Reconnaissance field of study. He also holds a Bachelor Degree of Law and he is a graduate from the Defense Language Institute, San Antonio, Texas where he studied English.

Benka’s assignments have included a full range of duties in 5th SFR starting as a Team Leader continuing as a company CO, then Chief of the Training Department and finishing as 5th SFR COS. He was also assigned as Deputy Director of the Training Centre Lešť for 2 years and as MA to SVK CHOD for 5 months. Within the range of the duties, he served in Operation Iraqi Freedom (12 month) as well as in ISAF SOF (total 6 month). His NATO assignments include duty as Deputy Director of J2 at NSHQ as well as Executive Officer of TF Europe, CCOMC, SHAPE.  From 01JAN18 till 31MAY2019 he served as Chief of the SOF Branch, General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic. From 01JUN19 till 31OCT22 Benka assumed SVK SOF Commander’s position.

Benka’s current assignment form 01NOV22 is SVK Defense Attaché to Czech Republic.

He is married with two children.

EDUCATION:
1988 - 1992 Secondary school of Mechanical Engineering
1993 - Reserve Officer School
1997 – 2002 Military Academy, Military Intelligence and Reconnaissance
2012 – 2015 Faculty of Laws, Danubius Academy
2019 – 2020 War College, Defense University, Brno, Czech Republic

COURSES:
1995 Military paratrooper certification of Slovak armed forces
1997 Military paratrooper certification of French Republic, Pau, France
2000 Survival course COMANDOS, Marche Les Dames, Belgium
2001 English Language course, Slovakia
2002 English Language course, Slovakia
2003 Language Course, Defense Language Institute Lackland AFB, Texas, USA
2003-2004 SOFQOC, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, USA
2004 Military paratrooper certification of USA
2004 Staff officer course UK/NLJSOC 3, Slovakia
2008 SOF Intelligence Course NATO SOF 101/NSIC/ NSHQ, SHAPE, Belgium
2008 SOF Intelligence Course NATO SOF 201/NSIC/ NSHQ, SHAPE, Belgium
2008 SOF Intelligence Course NATO SOF 301/NSIC/ NSHQ, SHAPE, Belgium
2009 Military paratrooper certification of Belgian Kingdom, Shaffen, Belgium
2009 Combined Joint Force Special Operations Component Command (CJFSOCC) Course, NSHQ, SHAPE, Belgium
2010 Technical Exploitation Operations (TEO) Course, NSHQ, SHAPE, Belgium

2010 Certified mobile system course UFED, NSHQ, SHAPE, Belgium
2011 NATO SOF SIGINT Course, NSHQ, SHAPE, Belgium
2014 NATO Orientation course, Oberammergau, Germany
2015 ACO Security Course, basic administration and physical security within SHAPE, Belgium
2015 Logistics Course, Crisis Response Operation Urgent Requirements, SHAPE, Belgium)
2015 Strategic Planning course, SHAPE Crisis and Operations Training (SCOT), NATO HQ and ACO level, SHAPE, Belgium

ASSIGNMENTS:
1995-1996 Team Leader, 4th ODA, 4th SF Company, 5th SFR,
1996-2000 Team Leader, 3rd ODA, 4th SF Company, 5th SFR,
2000-2001 Team Leader, 1st ODA, 4th SF Company, 5th SFR,
2001-2004 Commander, 2nd SF Company, 5th SFR,
2004-2008 Chief of the staff Training Department, 5th SFR,
2008-2008 Chief of Special Operations Department, 5th SFR,
2008-2011 NSHQ J2 Dep Dir,
2011-2012 COS, 5th SFR,
2012-2014 Dep Dir, Training Centre Lešť,
2014-2017 SHAPE, CCOMC, TF Europe XO,
2017-2017 MA to SVK CHOD
2018- 2019 Chief of SOF Branch, General Staff of the Armed Forces of the SVK
2019-2022 SVK SOCOM Commander
2022- Defense Attaché to CZE

OPERATIONAL DEPLOYMENTS AND NATO ASSIGNMENTS:
2005-2006 MND CS, Iraq Freedom, TOC G2 SO, IRAQ
2006 MND CS, Iraq Freedom, Chief of Intelligence Planning (G2), IRAQ
2009/2010 ISAF SOF Senior analyst – SOFFC, AFGHANISTAN

AWARDS AND DECORATIONS:
• COMMENDATION MEDAL, 25th Anniversary of the Establishment of the SVK AF,
• MILITARY CROSS, 1st Class, Gold,
• COMMENDATION MEDAL, 10th Anniversary of NATO Membership,
• CHODs Badge, 3rd Class,
• CHOD’s Badge, 2nd Class
• COMMENDATION MEDAL, 20th Anniversary of establishment of the AF of the SVK
• Non Article 5 NATO Medal, ISAF SOF
• SVK AF ALLEGIANCE MEDAL, 2nd Class
• WAR VETERAN BADGE
• IRAQI FREEDOM OPERATION MEDAL, 1st Class
• IRAQI FREEDOM OPERATION MEDAL, 2nd Class
• UPECIAL FORCES TAB
• AIRBORNE TAB
• AIRBORNE WINGS, Senior Parachutist Badge, US
• AIRBORNE WINGS, France
• AIRBORNE WINGS, Belgium
• AIRBOURNE WINGS, SVK, 1st Class

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION:
1.9.1995 Officer Candidate
1.9.1997 Second Lieutenant
1.9.1999 First Lieutenant
1.9.2002 Captain
1.10.2004 Major
1.1.2011 Lieutenant Colonel
1.8.2017 Colonel
28.1.2021 Brigadier General