On the 16th of June a Mountain Techniques in Natural Disaster Relief Operations course run by a EUFOR Mobile Training Team from Austria concluded. The most recent course lasted 10 days, and was the last of three courses of this type run since April. The subject of the course was training the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina (AFBiH) troops how to rescue casualties in Disaster Relief situations, using techniques normally used for saving life in the mountains.

Mountain Techniques

Preparing for the worst

After the disastrous flooding of June 2014, AFBiH decided to ensure they continued to build upon their experiences supporting the civilian population. One area they highlighted was the capacity to rescue people from inaccessible areas such as flooded areas, which this course addressed. During the course AFBiH personnel were trained to secure casualties in steep, hazardous environments and to maneuver them an area of safety.The course concluded with a practical examination of the skills to confirm the progress made.
37 attendees passed the course, including a female officer who qualified as an instructor. After this course the Austrian Mobile Training Team will move into a mentoring role, providing further advice to the qualified personnel as they progress further.

Mountain Techniques

COM EUFOR Visits

COM EUFOR visited the course on Monday the 15th, and watched the AFBiH conducting some of the rescue techniques they been trained in. Speaking at the event, he said:
‘Sharing knowledge such as the mountain techniques demonstrated here today is a key part of EUFOR’s mission. Through the progress the personnel have made on this course, they will be better prepared to meet the challenges of providing assistance to the population in crisis situations’ Captain Markus Wallner, director of the course commented:
‘It was pleasing to see the skills gained over the duration of the training. Many of the AFBiH soldiers were using these techniques for the first time, but they were motivated and keen to learn. After this training they will be in a position to teach others, so this capability can be spread’

Arming with knowledge

EUFOR has an ongoing commitment to support the AFBiH by training them in a range of different areas, including Disaster Relief. Training such as this is designed to build the capacity of AFBiH, supporting them as they make progress.

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