November 29, 2018: Slovenia appointed a female officer as the head of its army on Tuesday, a first for the country and for any NATO member state.

Major General Alenka Ermenc, 55, began her duties on Wednesday. She replaces Maj Gen Alan Geder who was in the post for only six months after his predecessor was sacked over the country's armed forces' poor performance during NATO tests.

Ermenc was promoted to the rank of major general last week, making her the first woman to hold that position in the small eastern European country of just over two million inhabitants. She was also the first woman to lead a battalion in the Slovenian Armed forces.

Educated in the UK, she was deployed in Kosovo for six months as part of a peacekeeping mission in 2009. She will now lead the country's 7,500 troops, which also include reserves.

Read more: Slovenia is First NATO State to Appoint Female Army Chief (www.euronews.com)

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