More than 800 members of the Battalion Group of Light Infantry (BGLP) of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina (OSBiH) will participate in the exercise “Combined Effort 22” at the military training ground “Manjača” from September 19 to 23, with the aim of final evaluation according to the NATO Concept operational capabilities (NEL-2).
BGLP commander Major Enis Herić in an interview with Fena news agency points out that the NATO operational capabilities concept program is a practical multi-purpose military tool that serves as a means for close operational cooperation between the Alliance and potential participants in NATO-led operations.
At the same time, he specifies that it is a program that supports the efforts of partners in the development of forces that will be fully interoperable and trained to operate according to NATO procedures and standards.
“In 2018, the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as part of the aforementioned program, declared the BGLP, which has successfully implemented a number of demanding tasks, as well as all planned evaluations. It has been rated as combat ready, and at the end of the current month we are expecting the last check, which would practically crown this four-year evaluation cycle,” explains Major Herić.
In this context, he reminds that all the planned training events were realized as an integral part of the preparations for the assessment during the year, and that the BGLP is fully prepared for the upcoming assessment.
Furthermore, he states that as part of the preparations for the assessment, the members of this formation (BGLP) through joint military training with EUFOR and participation in international exercises in the Federal Republic of Germany and the Republic of Turkey, had the opportunity to improve their knowledge and gain significant international experience.
“The activities that we carry out as part of this program are extremely important, not only for the Armed Forces, but also for the country as a whole, because in this way we significantly improve the interoperability and combat readiness of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and at the same time contribute to the process of Euro-Atlantic integration of the State of Bosnia and Herzegovina – underlines Herić.
When it comes to the organizational-formational structure, Herić states that 819 military personnel of various genders from all units of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina participate in the BGLP, and that all levels of command of the Armed Forces are involved in the structure and preparations of this unit.
“In accordance with the evaluation plan, the first day will be an inspection of personnel and equipment, while on the other days, the training and readiness of the unit will be checked when performing the tasks that will be delegated by the superior command. On the last day of evaluation (September 23), an initial field report from the evaluation apparatus is expected, in which the general impression of the evaluator will be stated,” says Herić in reference to the dynamics and chronology of the evaluation process.
According to him, the assessment will be carried out in accordance with the checklist containing more than 1,100 tasks, which was agreed upon during the advisory visit of NATO representatives.
In this context, the BGLP commander states that this unit is evaluated through five areas (Preparation, Operations, Support, Communications and Administration), and that a total of 75 evaluators are expected at the evaluation.
It is about, as he said, certified BiH. evaluators with significant international experience, as well as foreign evaluators from Austria, Azerbaijan, Finland, Georgia, Ireland, Italy, Colombia, Morocco, Moldova, Serbia and Sweden, with the participation of the NATO monitoring team and representatives of the Fifth Corps of the United States Army.
Herić notes that during this week, a computer-supported exercise was carried out in the Center for Combat Simulations in Manjaca, which is also the last activity as part of the preparation for the assessment.
“What I can say as the commander of the BGLP is that, with highly trained and qualified military, non-commissioned and officer staff, we will give our best through the upcoming evaluation and create the conditions for obtaining a certificate for entering the NATO pool of joint forces for peace operations , as well as for participation in NATO exercises,” said Major Enis Herić in an interview for Fena.
