On 12 and 13 September 2013, EUFOR celebrated the end of another successful exercise with closing ceremonies held inside the AF BiH Army Barracks in LIVAČ and inside EUFOR’s Camp BUTMIR in SARAJEVO. The closing ceremonies marked the end of Exercise Quick Response 2 which saw the activation and deployment of EUFORs reserve forces from Austria and Slovakia and their integration into the EUFOR Multinational Battalion (MNBN). Exercise Quick Response 2, the second of EUFORs regular Operational Rehearsals (OPREH) in 2013, also included the planning and implementation of a joint Field Training Exercise (FTX) with the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina (AF BiH).
| COMEUFOR, Major General Dieter Heidecker handsover present to Osmić, BiH Minister of Defense |
On 12 September 2013, EUFOR’s two-week “Exercise Quick Response 2” climaxed with a Distinguished Visitors Day (DVD) at the BiH Army Barracks in LIVAČ.
The event began with a Press Conference which included the Minister of Defense for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Minister Zekerijah Osmić, the Head of the European Union Command Element Lieutenant (Lt) General Leonardo di Marco, the Commander of EUFOR Major General Dieter Heidecker and the Chief of the Joint Staff of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina (AF BiH) Major General Anto Jeleč.
Lt General di Marco welcomed the representatives of local and international media and congratulated the Commander of EUFOR, Major General Dieter Heidecker, for his “excellent leadership and the successful conduct of the exercise.”
| COS EUFOR congratulates the soldiers for their performance |
On 10 September 2013 Chief of Staff EUFOR (COS EUFOR) Brigadier General József Szpisják visited the exercise “Dynamic Response” on the Distinguished Visitors Day (DVD) conducted by the Armed Forces of BiH (AF BIH) in Manjaca barracks. There COS EUFOR met the BiH Minister of Defence Zekerijah Osmič, the Chief of Joint Staff Major General Anto Jeleč and many other local and international distinguished guests.
On 07 September 2013, members of the Intermediate Reserve (IR) Force under the leadership of the Commander of the Multinational Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Christoph BLASCH, and under the watchful and critical eyes of Commander EUFOR, Major General Dieter Heidecker, and Chief of Staff EUFOR, Brigadier General József Szpisják, underwent the final test before having proven their “Full Operational Capability”. During a challenging and demanding drill, the IR companies from Austria and Slovakia, who have recently joined EUFOR as reinforcements for the operational rehearsal “Exercise Quick Response 2”, had to demonstrate their military skills by solving a series of demanding tasks typical for peace support operations. The exercise took place inside the RAJLOVAC barracks in SARAJEVO and included different scenarios that demanded accurate reaction to events such as civil disturbances, fighting in built up areas (FIBUA), protection of essential infrastructure and emergency procedures for persons needing assistance to evacuate. In the process the soldiers and their commanders were challenged to carryout search operations, reconnaissance and detection operations, patrols, checkpoint and traffic control point operations and conduct stability operations while simultaneously protecting wider security interests.
On 5 September 2013, Major General Dieter Heidecker the EUFOR Commander visited RAJLOVAC barracks, SARAJEVO to inspect the training taking place as part of the Integration Phase for Exercise Quick Response 2. Quick Response 2 is part of the EUFOR’s annual training regime and rehearses the activation, deployment and integration of over the horizon forces (Intermediate Reserve Companies) into the EUFOR structure and demonstrates EUFOR’s ability to maintain the Safe and Secure Environment.
On 03 September 2013 approximately 200 EUFOR troops, 250 servicemen from their Intermediate Reserve Force and senior military officers from the Headquarters EUFOR gathered in Camp BUTMIR for the opening ceremony of the two-week “Exercise Quick Response 2”. Commander of the EUFOR, Major General Dieter Heidecker, opened the event by highlighting the importance of the role that EUFOR is playing in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). He said: “The basis for this Exercise is that EUFOR still guarantees the peace and maintenance of the Safe and Secure Environment in BiH.”
From 30th August 2013, soldiers from the European Reserve Forces of Slovakia and Austria will be arriving in Bosnia and Herzegovina to conduct integration training with the EUFOR Multi-national battalion and also practice Peace Support Operations with the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).
The Main Planning Conference (MPC) for this year’s second EUFOR operational rehearsal, codenamed “Exercise QUICK RESPONSE 2013”, that will also include a combined training phase together with the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina (AF BiH) was conducted on the 13th of AUG 2013 inside the “MIRALEM JUGO” barracks of the AF BiH 4th Infantry Brigade in LIVAC near MOSTAR.
On 9 July 2013, the Initial Planning Conference for the next EUFOR Operational Rehearsal Exercise “Quick Response 2” took place in EUFOR HQ, Camp Butmir.
The Initial Planning Conference (IPC), which covered the planning and preparation of the second EUFOR Operational Rehearsal in 2013 was officially opened by the COS EUFOR, Brigadier General József SZPISJÁK.
Posters (English, Bosnian/Croatian, Serbian)...