Hungarian, British, Austrian, Turkish and local forces are jointly exercising the use of EUFOR’s new force structure, which has been augmented with the Intermediate Reserves Forces, EUFOR Chief of Staff Brig.-Gen. József Szpisják told Hungarian News Agency MTI on Thursday, April 18.

Reinforced with the national support element, a 117-strong intermediate reserve company of the Hungarian Defence Forces EUFOR contingent arrived in Sarajevo on Monday, April 15 to participate in the two-week international exercise Quick Response 2013.

During the first week, the soldiers demonstrate their ability to successfully activate, quickly deploy and integrate companies held at readiness within EUFOR’s Intermediate Reserves Forces normally stationed outside of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). In the second phase of the exercise, to display their interoperability, they are going to train with the armed forces of Bosnia-Herzegovina under a fictitious Peace Support Operation (PSO) scenario in the garrisons of Kalinovik and Pazaric.

Exercise Director József Szpisják pointed out that from the standpoint of Hungarian foreign/security policy and maintaining stability in the Balkans, Hungary’s engagement in Bosnia is very important. The Hungarian Defence Forces have been participating in Operation Althea of the European Union Force (EUFOR) since 2004. At present, 19 soldiers are serving with the mission in individual positions while 26 as members of the Hungarian contingent in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Since last September, most personnel of the contingent have been placed on standby in Hungary as part of a reserve force. According to the rotation schedule of the new force structure, in the summer of 2013 the Hungarian contingent is to deploy to Bosnia-Herzegovina where it will continue executing its tasks in the EUFOR mission.

(MTI)