Day one of Exercise Quick Response 2018 saw training scenarios in the regions of Sarajevo International Airport, Pazaric and Camp Butmir.
The scenarios covered were a VIP convoy attack at the airport, defense of a weapons storage site at Pazaric and crowd control at Camp Butmir.
The realistic scenarios tested the contingency plans of the airport authorities, SIPA and the Border Police at the airport and tested the soldiers of EUFOR’s Multinational Battalion and reserve forces at Pazaric and Camp Butmir.
All three scenarios were completed professionally and all goals were met. COMEUFOR, Major General Martin Dorfer expressed his satisfaction with the opening day saying:
‘Exercise Quick Response 2018 is the largest in our series of exercises this year and I can say that we have had a good start’
Day two of Exercise Quick Response 2018 saw the exercise scenarios move to Mrkonjic Grad and Tuzla and concentrated on troop movements and cooperation with the Armed Forces of BiH and Law Enforcement agencies.
At Kula near Mrkonjic Grad Hungarian troops from the Kosovo Tactical Reserve Battalion were diverted from a convoy in the area of Travnik to assist with the protection of an ammunition storage site.
This involved moving the convoy towards Mrkonjic Grad and liaising with both the Armed Forces of BiH based there and with the Republika Srpska Police.
EUFOR Chief of Staff, Brigadier General Gabor Horvath was there to watch the arrival of the Hungarian troops and their interaction with the AF BiH and RS Police.
‘I am impressed with the professionalism and cooperation between the EUFOR soldiers and the AF BiH and RS Police. It is for this exact reason that we exercise and ensure that this collaboration works well, which it has today’
Near Tuzla the Austrian company arrived in convoy at the forward operating base (FOB) Dubrave and liaised with the AF BiH before occupying the base. They will be based there for the night and will await further orders overnight.
Day three of Exercise Quick Response 2018 saw the scenarios take place in Kalinovic and Brcko with the Turkish and Austrian Companies taking the lead.
In Kalinovik the Turkish company had to deal with the evacuation of a EUFOR LOT house with a number of ‘training injects’ that tested the Company Commander and his soldiers. This included the need for a helicopter medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) as well as a crowd control situation.
The MEDEVAC helicopter from Camp Butmir was requested and arrived to transport the ‘casualty’ back to the medical facilities at the camp.
Brcko saw the Austrian soldiers secure a landing site for a VIP aircraft flight and then escorted the VIP road convoy through a fictitious ‘dangerous’ area to meet with key leaders in the local community including the Mayor.
Close cooperation with the Brcko Police was essential for this road move as they ‘blue lighted’ the convoy along the designated route. EUFOR LOT house Brcko was involved with the planning for the scenario and coordination with the Mayors office.
A good days training in both areas ensured Day Three of the exercise was a success, close cooperation and communication between all units was vital to ensure things ran as smoothly as possible.
