“It is a joy to support my colleagues so that they can carry out the Mission’s mandate in the best possible way”

Tadej Knuplez joined EUAM Iraq from Slovenia. Prior to adhering to the mission, he was deployed as a diplomat in the Slovenian Embassy in Ukraine. Tadej has a military background and served as a member of the Special Forces for 12 years including participating in different Missions, such as Afghanistan and Mali. He holds a Master’s degree in Economics and graduated from the military academy. After deciding to end his military career in 2018, Tadej participated in election observation missions in Liberia and Pakistan. He sees working for EUAM Iraq as an opportunity to better understand the challenging dynamics of the EU’s civilian crisis management while getting a small insight into a fascinating country.

Tell us about your daily work?

I am a Logistics Officer, so I work in the department of General Services and Support. This basically means providing supplies and support to mission members to facilitate their daily routines. My greatest joy is to support colleagues in implementing the Mission mandate and see the results of our assistance. I think that colleagues should feel they are provided with all necessary tools in order to succeed in their work. 

My responsibilities range from taking care of the accommodation and catering of mission members to office spaces and all the needed supplies. Also, event management and arranging the various meetings with our counterparts. My colleagues and myself at the logistics office are also responsible of all the assets and doing the vehicle fleet management.

After working hours, we offer all kinds of fun welfare activities to our colleagues such as making pizzas, barbecue nights and sports activities. 

How do you find working with colleagues from many different backgrounds?

I find it interesting and challenging at the same time. It is fascinating to work with colleagues from different backgrounds and environments with diverse mindsets. Sometimes we cannot understand each other the way we would be understood in our own countries. On the other hand, I have met many great colleagues and have learnt a lot from them. All in all, I have grown on a personal and professional level because of the knowledge that people from different backgrounds have and share with me. So, for me it is a very good experience and I really like it!

What has been the most rewarding or memorable experience for you in the Mission so far?

Visiting the Iraq Museum in Baghdad was a wonderful and memorable experience. I saw how historically and culturally rich this country is. You can visit museums in Europe and see a lot of nice artefacts, but here you have an amazing amount of cultural and artistic items of historic value that can be viewed in the country of origin.

If you could live anywhere, where would you choose to be?

I do not have country-specific preferences. I would live wherever my heart is – my family and my work. Currently it is both in Iraq and in Europe. I am happy to reside and work here in Baghdad and also to have a home in Slovenia. 

What is something your colleagues don’t know about you?

There is a lot actually. One thing is that I am very afraid of needles. I often faint when I am receiving vaccines for example. I cannot donate blood due to the same reason. People often think that having a military background makes you tough and you cannot be fragile. For me showing ‘strength’ can mean many things including countering such stereotypes.  

What was the last gift you gave someone?

It was chocolates and an Iraqi handicraft item - a traditional handmade clay vase, painted in a special way with different colours all around. These very nice vases can be used as sugar containers. 

They are handmade in villages 20-30km north of Baghdad, where people still do handicrafts in a traditional way like in the Mesopotamian times. Me and my colleague, we found an online newsclip where a journalist was reporting on traditional Iraqi crafts and homemade items. Then we set out to find the artisan featured in the newsclip and asked him to make some handmade items for us as well, including the vase.

What is your usual order at a restaurant?

From the local food, I like masgouf fish and lamb chops. Otherwise, my favourite would be beef steak which I can also find here. Foodwise, Iraq is a paradise for me and I am not missing anything.

How do you relax?

I usually relax by doing sports. I like to run and do any kind of collective sports activities – football, table tennis, CrossFit, yoga etc. In addition to sports, I also enjoy the good company of colleagues and friends, watching a movie together or even finding some quite time for myself to read a book or go for a walk in the garden.