On Thursday 26 September another Antonov 124 and a Royal Air Force Voyager aircraft arrived at Sarajevo International Airport bringing in over 120 British troops from the 1st Battalion the Royal Gurkha Rifles and their final pieces of equipment for EUFOR’s largest annual exercise, Quick Response 2019 (QR19).
On Monday 23 September the first Antonov 124 flight arrived at Sarajevo International Airport bringing in troops and equipment for EUFOR’s largest annual exercise, Quick Response 19 (QR19).
On Friday 20 September, EUFOR received a request from the personnel in their Liaison and Observation Team house in Mostar, to help a female hiker who had collapsed near the village of Krusevljani. Two of EUFOR’s Agusta Bell 212 helicopters were launched with winching capability and medical supplies.
EUFOR’s Chief of Staff Brigadier General László Szabó and AFBiH Deputy Chief Joint Staff Operations, Major General Ivica Jerkic, signed the Training and Cooperation plan 2020 today. This demonstrates the intent of EUFOR and AFBiH to continue their long association and continually strive for improvement by training together across a wide range of scenarios.
From 26-28 August, the Operation Commander for EUFOR Operation Althea Lieutenant General Olivier Rittimann, visited Bosnia and Herzegovina to visit the EUFOR mission and to meet with international and BiH officials. He was welcomed by the Force Commander of EUFOR, Major General Reinhard Trischak. The two Generals met with the High Representative, the Head of EU Delegation and EU Special Representative, the BiH presidency, the BiH Ministers for Defence and for Security, the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) and BiH Armed Forces Chief of Joint Staff.
On 20 August 2019, Commander EUFOR, Major General Reinhard Trischak, handed over the colours of the Multinational Battalion (MNBN) from Lieutenant Colonel Alfred Sanz to Lieutenant Colonel Manfred Leitner. The new commanding officer of EUFOR’s primary operational arm, the MNBN, has previously served in Kosovo and Chad. He takes over a united, cohesive and very capable military unit from Lieutenant Colonel Sanz, operating under the motto “One Mission, One Team”, committed to the multinational culture, values and spirit of EUFOR Operation Althea.
On Tuesday 14 May, in a Transfer of Authority ceremony held at Camp Butmir, Sarajevo, Brigadier General Gábor Horváth relinquished his position of EUFOR Chief of Staff (COS) to his successor, Brigadier General László Szabó.
On Wednesday the 26 June a Change of Command ceremony was held at Camp Butmir where Major General Martin Dorfer handed over authority for the mission to Major General Reinhard Trischak.
EUFOR continues to act under its UN Charter Article VII mandate to support the local authorities, which includes the AFBiH, in maintaining a safe and secure environment for all people of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
On Wednesday 22 May, Major General Martin Dorfer, who is approaching the end of his tenure as Commander of the EUFOR mission, paid office calls to the EU Special Representative, the High Representative, and the Chair of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The President of Poland, Andrzej Duda, visited EUFOR at Camp Butmir, on Monday 15 April, spending several hours with the Polish troops.
HQ Staff Photo