On 25 July, The Chief Of Staff (COS) EUFOR, Brigadier General SZPISJÁK, presided over a medal parade at EUFOR HQ in Camp Butmir, Sarajevo. He presented the European Union Common Security and Defence Policy Medal Althea to 62 service personnel from 7 different nations and thanked them for their dedicated service in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Brigadier General explained the importance of receiving the medal as it formally and publically acknowledges the contributions that everyone receiving the medal has made to the success of EUFOR. Stating: "EUFOR Remains firmly focused on supporting the BiH authorities in maintaining the safe and secure environment and on building the capabilities of the Armed Forces of BiH through our capacity building and training activities."
Captain Robert Andrzejak from the Polish Army was one of the parade participants receiving their medal as his tour in the operational theatre draws to a close. He said: "I feel very proud to receive this medal, knowing that I have contributed to the good work that EUFOR does in Bosnia and Herzegovina"
EUFOR Operation Althea is currently made up of service personnel from 14 EU member states and 5 partner nations. The countries represented at this medal parade were Albania, Austria, Chile, Hungary, Poland, Switzerland and Turkey. Brigadier General SZPISJÁK went on to comment that: "EUFOR is indeed fortunate as it enjoys the full support of all your countries."
