Environmental Awareness of the Personnel of the Slovenian Armed Forces: Self-Identification as a Basis for Strengthening the Environmental Aspect of Civil-Military Relations

Abstract Military activities have a certain impact on the environment and are therefore regulated by national legislation and internal regulations. Strategic and development documents from the field of defense include aspects of environmental protection, sustainable use and energy efficiency. The modernization of the Slovenian Armed Forces and investments in sustainable technology present new opportunities and bring some risks. Among members of the Slovenian Armed Forces, a high level of environmental awareness is expressed, although depending on the status of the members, there are differences in attitudes about the impact of military activities on the environment. The environmental aspect of civil-military relations in the Republic of Slovenia is of strategic importance in order for the Slovenian Armed Forces to maintain its reputation as a credible and environmentally responsible institution and more comprehensively fulfill its functional imperative in the long term.