Slovenia becomes only NATO country with female head of armed services

Nov. 27 (UPI) -- Slovenia will become the only NATO country with a woman serving as head of its armed forces after Maj. Gen Alenka Ermenc's appointment was announced Tuesday.

Ermenc will assume her duties Wedneday as the military's chief of staff, the BBC reported.

Ermenc, 55, will replace Maj. Gen. Alan Geder, who has been in the post on an interim basis since February after Andrej Osterman was dismissed, according to Spain's Eldiario.es.

Earlier this year, a Slovenian army brigade failed a NATO combat readiness test.

"The global trend of a deteriorating security situation continues and even though Slovenia is not directly threatened military-wise, it must improve its military safety relatively quickly," President Borut Pahor said in a statement released by his office.

Ermenc previously was the army's deputy chief of staff and has served in the military branch of her country for 27 years.

She graduated from the Royal College of Defence Studies in London and completed a master's degree in International Studies at London's King's College University.

Slovenia, which originally was part of Yugoslavia, joined NATO and the European Union in 2004. There are 29 NATO countries and 28 EU nations.