The EUFOR Capacity Building & Training (CB&T) Branch began 2014 with the launch of the CIS Microwave & Satellite Communications Course for members of the Armed Forces of BiH (AF BiH). The course commenced on 13 January 2014 at the Tactical Support Brigade in Rajlovac and will be completed by 24 January 2014.

This course is also the first CIS training in a cycle of 11 training events planned in the 2014 AF BiH Training Calendar. The training is given by two AF BiH instructors and mentored by a Turkish Mobile Mentoring Team and the training audience consists of 13 participants who all successfully completed the first CIS Microwave & Satellite Communications Course at the Signal Battalion in Pale in 2012.

The course was opened by Col Ahmet Gonel (EUFOR DCOS CB&T), Lt Col Dinko Zarkusic (Chief S6 AF BiH Operational Command) and the Chief of the EUFOR Training Branch Lt Col Johan Bouhuys, who all wished the instructors and students success with this, the first CB&T course of 2014.

EUFOR’s CB&T mission is to assist AF BiH in achieving a robust and self-sustainable training structure, with an appropriate staffing mechanism.  This is to allow AF BiH to provide trained personnel, in line with international standards, who are able to participate in international Peace Support Operations. The CIS Microwave & Satellite Communications Course is but one of the steps to support these endeavours.