General Sir Adrian Bradshaw, the EUFOR Operation Commander, visited BiH on 9-10 June to gain an update on the progress of Operation Althea and to witness EUFOR troops assisting Armed Forces BiH in their flood-related disaster relief work.
On the morning of 9 June, General Bradshaw received an update in EUFOR HQ on Operation Althea progress, with particular focus on the recent flooding. He spent the afternoon in Sarajevo visiting the Presidency, the UN Development Programme office and the Ministry of Defence.
On landing at Tuzla, General Bradshaw was then shown the Combined Joint Operations Centre (CJOC) where Brigadier General Dragan Vuković, Commander Operational Command of Armed Forces BiH, was present. General Bradshaw was briefed on the ongoing EUFOR tasks, the progress of his teams and details of their collaboration with Armed Forces BiH.
Later, he met with a number of members of the EUFOR UK Reserve Company from 1 SCOTS, and the Slovenian Reserve Company. Their tasking has so far been focused around Lopare, where the team has been repairing the water network and near Doboj, where they have been assisting the Armed Forces BiH to clear flood debris.
General Bradshaw said,
“EUFOR’s Intermediate Reserve companies were coming to BiH for a joint exercise with Armed Forces BiH but due to the recent flooding, they were re-tasked to assist the Armed Forces with the flood-related disaster relief work. I have seen today, how this not only benefits the worst affected areas of BiH, but also the ability of the Armed Forces of BiH in working together with other nations’ soldiers in disaster relief work of this kind.”