New contingent of BiH soldiers heads to Iraq

02/09/2008

In mid-August, a new contingent of troops from Bosnia and Herzegovina joined the Iraqi Freedom peacekeeping mission. Dignitaries praised them for aiding BiH's NATO integration effort.

By Jusuf Ramadanovic for Southeast European Times in Sarajevo – 02/09/08

Iraq-bound soldiers in Bosnia and Herzegovina prepare for their flight. [Getty Images]

Recently a new contingent of soldiers from the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina (OSBiH) headed to Iraq to undertake the riskiest peacekeeping mission the BiH troops have seen so far. Over the next six months, the members of the OSBiH infantry will secure part of the coalition forces' Victory Base Complex (VBC) near Baghdad.

Their send-off was held at the Rajlovac Barracks outside Sarajevo on August 14th. Deputy Defence Minister Igor Crnadak said, "The troops who are going to secure the coalition base will be facing more challenges and a risk different from destruction of unexploded ordnance, in which our units have taken part since 2005. This [is no] video game, but I believe our troops are well prepared."

Forty-nine OSBiH infantrymen will help secure the VBC. They come from both BiH entities, the Federation of BiH and the Republika Srpska. That fact arguably points to the success of OSBiH reform, which has given the country a boost in terms of future NATO integration. Captain Dragan Malic, unit commander, says all soldiers are aware of the risk they will be facing in Iraq, adding, "We are all very well-trained professionals."

On their trip to Iraq, they will be accompanied by a unit that destroys unexploded ordnance, comprised of 36 soldiers. That unit is returning for its eighth tour in Iraq, while its current commander, Captain Nebojsa Jankovic, is going back for his second tour. He says many of his subordinates volunteered for a second stint in Iraq.

Also present at the ceremony was BiH Presidency Chairman Haris Silajdzic. He said participation by BiH troops in peacekeeping missions worldwide helps accelerate the country's NATO integration. "They have made a huge contribution to our accelerated path towards NATO," he said. "We are thankful to them and proud of them."

US Ambassador to BiH Charles English reiterated the gratitude of the US government to BiH for its contribution to Operation Iraqi Freedom and said the United States strongly supports the speedy NATO integration of BiH.

The OSBiH infantrymen going to Iraq received special training at the military training range on Mt. Manjaca, near Banja Luka. Before they begin duty in Iraq, they will undergo a week of supplementary training in Kuwait.

According to some assessments, there are currently 2,000 other BiH nationals working in Iraq and Afghanistan as contract employees on infrastructure and mine-removal projects.