On 23 March 2017 COMEUFOR, Major General Friedrich Schrötter, hosted a large group of international guests and journalists in Kalinovik barracks where EUFOR personnel put on a 2-hour demonstration of military capabilities. The scenario centred around a group of personnel being protected and evacuated to a safe area by EUFOR Multinational Battalion (MNBN) and the guests were involved in the scenario, playing the evacuees.
The event started with a welcome statement from COMEUFOR then the MNBN Commander gave a brief on what would happen in the exercise. The practical elements were initiated by a helicopter fly-by then the visitors got to witness Crowd and Riot Control tactics, with soldiers protecting them from aggressive protestors. After being issued with protective equipment, the visitors then proceeded, by bus, towards a ‘safe location’, accompanied by a military convoy as escort. Along the way there was a simulated ambush and the visitors dismounted the bus and witnessed ‘live fire’ shooting from the soldiers. The exercise finished with a helicopter flight back to the camp for all the guests.
EUFOR, as a military force has to exercise the full spectrum of military operations. Accomplishing challenging tasks in training and exercise facilitates the overall professionalism and capabilities of the organization. This is essential for EUFOR’s primary task, namely supporting the maintenance and stability of a safe and secure environment in Bosnia and Herzegovina.