The Chief of Joint Operations Command / Deputy Chief of the Swiss Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Aldo C. Schellenberg, visited EUFOR at Camp Butmir, on Friday 14 June, spending time with the Swiss troops.
After being welcomed to the camp by an Honour Guard, Lt Gen. Schellenberg met with key EUFOR staff including the Swiss senior national representative, Major Lukas Müller. The Commander of EUFOR, Major General Dorfer then held a meeting with Lt Gen. Schellenberg where they discussed key military and political issues as well as the Swiss contribution to EUFOR’s mission.
After the meeting Lt Gen. Schellenberg flew to TROM Doboj where he attended a briefing about the masterplan for ammunition, weapons and explosives given by by the Special Ammunition and Weapons Advisor, Colonel Martin F. Trachsler. Afterwards he visited an ammunition destruction site, where he saw various methods of ammunition disposal including delaboration. The visit concluded with a tour of the recently handed over Chemical Ammunition Laboratory which Switzerland helped to fund.
Major Alberto Prince who welcomed Lt Gen. Schellenberg at TROM Doboj said: “It’s really important to explain what we are doing, what has been already been achieved and what is still to do in order to support and contribute to a safe and secure environment in BiH. Lt Gen Schellenberg is aware of this and really appreciated the visit.”
Switzerland is one of 20 troop contributing countries in the EUFOR mission in BiH, providing the troops to run two ‘Liaison and Observation Team’ houses in Mostar and Trebinje, which offer mine awareness training to local schools and meet with members of the community in order to monitor the security situation. Swiss troops also provide some Staff Officers, Project Officers and the Special Ammunition and Weapons Advisors, established by the Operation Commander in April 2013 in order to coordinate, support and monitor all the activities, projects and stakeholders within the ‘Ammunition, Weapons and Explosives Masterplan’ the aim of which is “The transparent disposal of surplus ammunition and weapons and the introduction of a sustainable ammunition and weapons life-cycle management system in BiH” in order to provide a safe and secure environment for the people of BiH.
