EUFOR’s Multinational Battalion (MNBN) held a Transfer of Authority ceremony to mark the change of command from Lieutenant Colonel Gianfabio Colella of the 3rd Bersaglieri Regiment to Lieutenant Colonel Gabriele Uras of the 151st Infantry Regiment “Sassari”. The ceremony was presided over by COM EUFOR Major General Maurizio Fronda.
The handover ensures the continued presence of the Italian “Sassari” Brigade within EUFOR ALTHEA and allows the contingent to continue its mission of maintaining a safe and secure environment throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina in support of local authorities.
During its six-month rotation, the Italian contingent carried out intense observation patrols across Bosnian territory and numerous joint training sessions aimed at strengthening regional stability and raising cooperation with the Armed Forces and the Police Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
A key milestone of the rotation was participation in the “Combined Response” exercise held in April, which tested interoperability between the multinational companies that form the MNBN and the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Training activities included route clearance, crowd control, checkpoints, and the defence of forward command posts, confirming the value of multinational training in enhancing collective crisis-response capabilities.
During the ceremony, Lieutenant Colonel Colella thanked the members of the MNBN for their professionalism, dedication, and support throughout his command, and wished his successor every success in leading the battalion.
COM EUFOR Major General Maurizio Fronda thanked Lieutenant Colonel Gianfabio Colella for his leadership and unwavering commitment, highlighting the strategic importance of the MNBN to the EUFOR mission. At the same time, he warmly welcomed Lieutenant Colonel Gabriele Uras, expressing full confidence in his leadership as he assumes command.