Corporal Róbert Pflug serves in the 25th Air Defence Missile Regiment in Strakonice as a picker of the wounded. At least that is what his function on the dressing station is called. These days, however, you will most often find him behind the wheel of a vehicle that military medics use to go test people for coronavirus.

Picture: Corporal Róbert Pflug serves at the Strakonice unit at the dressing station | Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic

He plunged straight into the demanding service. After a basic training course in Vyškov, he headed to Strakonice last July to join the staff at the local dressing station. They have been helping with the Covid-19 pandemic since its outbreak. “Probably every one of us helping in the fight against the spread of this disease takes a lot of experience from the service. When we are out of the woods, it will be time to tell stories,” Corporal Pflug confirms that medics are experiencing a really hectic period. He is currently taking turns with colleagues at the hospital in Český Krumlov and the health centre in Kaplice, where they perform antigen tests.

Despite the demanding nature of his work, he is satisfied with the service. “This work is a great benefit for me. I promised myself to gather new experiences from it, which I really succeeded in doing, in great measures. During every of my call-outs, I see how people react positively to the involvement of soldiers in the fight against the pandemic, and I hope that this will not change,“ says the Strakonice soldier.

Picture: Members of the Strakonice dressing station have been testing people for coronavirus throughout the entire pandemic | Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic

Thanks to his service in the army, he helps society

It was his brother who introduced him to the army, and who serves as a military medic as well. “Leaving aside family ties, the Army of the Czech Republic is a stable system for me, which also provides a lot of space for self-realization. In contrast to the private companies for which I worked in the past, I help the society by serving in the army,” says Corporal Pflug, who joined the army on April 1, 2020. 

Few people know that he is a graduate of the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice. Before embarking on a career of a professional soldier, he worked for five years as Head of the pond administration. “You have to walk up step by step if you want to reach the top. I was able to perform my previous managerial position precisely because I really started from the bottom in my studied field. I believe that the boss should go to work in work clothes,” says the graduate engineer, explaining why he started in the army from the bottom. 

Picture: Corporal Róbert Pflug (far left) assists with administration during antigen testing | Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic

Corporal Róbert Pflug comes from Jindřichův Hradec and is 30 years old. His hobbies include hunting and music. He also does traditional karate and the recreational level of ultra trail.