After operating in different areas of BiH during EUFOR’s annual Exercise Quick Response 2020, a Company of Austrian and a Company of UK soldiers decide to join forces to test their combined military ability.
The competition was conceived by the men of A Company 3Para who had enjoyed working within EUFOR’s Multinational Battalion during the Exercise. Their Company Commander, Major Shaun Clarke said;
“For a lot of these men, it is the first time they have worked closely with another nation and it has been a rewarding period where we have all learned a great deal. The teams today have an equal mix of UK and Austrian soldiers, the winners will be the team who cooperate the best.”
Moving through a series of stances such as treating casualties, weapon assembly and a grenade throw, the teams have 6 hours to show the multinational instructors what they have learned. Carrying 20kg of kit and a weapon on a very hot day is the first challenge and overcoming any language barrier takes patience and consideration.
Commander of the Multinational Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Alfred Steingress watched the troops compete, saying;
"Soldiers of both nations have certainly faced a tough challenge today and overcome it together. They have been very well prepared and both the UK and the Austrian Company executed the tasks with determination and skill. I have seen a lot of teamwork within the teams and I am extremely proud of them. A job well done!"
Talking to the instructors and watching the groups progress and collaborate around the circuit today, it was extremely clear that the overall winner was ‘teamwork’.