Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Slovenian Armed Forces

In 1996, he graduated from the Reserve Officer Candidate School. A year later, he joined the Slovenian Armed Forces as a graduate in Defence Studies. In that same year, he graduated from the Officer Candidate School. In 1998, he was sent to the United States, where he finished the Infantry Officer Basic Course and the Ranger Course. He graduated from the Staff Course three years later and from the Senior Staff Course in 2005. In 2010, he earned a master’s degree in Defence Studies. Additionally, after graduating from the Army War College, USA in 2016, he became Master of Strategic Studies.

• Platoon Leader, 1st Special Brigade MORIS (1997)
• Team Leader, Special Operations Detachment (1998)
• Chief of Operational Training Section, Special Operations Detachment (2001)
• Deputy Commander, Special Operations Detachment (2002)
• Deputy Commander, Special Operations Unit (2004)
• Commander, Special Operations Unit (2007)
• Commander, 72nd Brigade (2018)
• Chief, Military Policy and Strategic Planning Division (2018)
• Commander, 1st Brigade (2018)
• Chief of Staff, SAF General Staff (2020)
• Deputy Commander, Force Command (2022)

Brigadier General Paternus received the following decorations for his work in military and defence domain: Bronze Medal of General Maister; Bronze Medal of the Slovenian Armed Forces; Gold Small Sabre of the Slovenian Armed Forces; Commendation, Medal and Bronze Medal of the Chief of the General Staff; Gold Medal of the Force Command Bronze and Silver Sword of the Force Command; Bronze and Gold Badge of the 1st Brigade; Gold Plaque of the 1st Brigade; Gold Badge of the Command and Staff School; Gold Medal of the Special Operations Unit; Silver Plaque of the 5th Intelligence and Reconnaissance Battalion, and three In the Service of Peace medals. As for the foreign decorations, he was awarded three NATO Non-article 5 Medals for his deployments.