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    Immediate Response 15, NATO partners working shoulder to shoulder for regional security

    Multinational convoy

    Photo By Master Sgt. Caleb Barrieau | Slovenian Armed Forces start their convoy to Poček Training Area, in Slovenia from...... read more read more

    SLUNJ, CROATIA

    09.15.2015

    Courtesy Story

    U.S. Army Europe and Africa     

    SLUNJ, CROATIA---Exercise Immediate Response 15 is one of U.S. Army Europe’s largest training events in the Western Balkans and for the countries that participate. This exercise is a critical part of enhancing regional security.

    The exercise involves more than 1,800 service members from nine countries and is being co-hosted by NATO member nations Slovenia and Croatia.

    Major Ivan Stipić from the Croatian Armed Forces and Major Uroš Trinko from the Slovenian Armed Forces are the co-Exercise Control Officers in Charge (OIC) at the Slunj, Croatia training area.

    Planners from U.S. Army Europe and the Joint Multi National Training Command in Grafenwoehr, Germany as well as a team of Observer/Coaches from the Joint Multinational Training Center at Hohenfels, Germany are assisting the nations in the execution of the exercise.

    Stipić has been in the Croatian Army since 1991 and has served in Bosnia and Afghanistan. He views his country taking responsibility for Immediate Response as a huge step forward for Croatia.

    “We are ready for the future, we are ready for the challenges, we have a good army that can work with our partners shoulder to shoulder,” said Stipić.

    In Slunj, units are conducting Situational Training Exercises (STX) lane training. They will then convoy to Poček Training Area, in Slovenia and continue to train as a multi-national battalion for a Field Training Exercise (FTX).

    Learning how to move between countries is one of the key training goals of this exercise. “Crossing the border is an objective of our training,” said Stipić.

    Major Uroš Trinko has been in the Slovenian army since 1992. He has also served in Afghanistan. He said that the way NATO trained units to go to Afghanistan is similar to how Slovenia and Croatia are approaching this exercise.

    He explained, “Immediate Response can be compared to Afghanistan where we sent soldiers to Hohenfels, Germany where they formed multinational units, where we tested them for interoperability and then we sent them to Afghanistan.” He added, “Immediate Response is a huge challenge for us.”

    Trinko pointed out that training in one place and fighting in another is not unusual. “We are preparing our multinational battalion, here in Slunj, so that they will be able to fight in Slovenia. We are not going to have the possibility to train on the same terrain where we are going to fight, so we need to go someplace similar, so that when we have a unit that is capable of working together we send them to the fight.”

    Trinko was careful to say that Immediate Response 15 was designed using the NATO Doctrine for collective training and exercises. Both he and Stipić want the training here to be as close to NATO standard as possible, so no matter what the nation, the soldiers will have a common training guide.
    Both Stipić and Trinko said that hosting an event like Immediate Response is a big undertaking for their small countries, but one that they hope will be supported by partner nations with Soldiers and training funds in the future.

    “NATO is our alliance; we want to be partners to our friends,” said the Croatian Maj. Stipić.

    Slovenian Maj. Trinko talked about the increased need for the armies of his region to work together. “The world is going in many directions and we all need to be prepared” said Stipić.

    Immediate Response 15 concludes on Sept. 22 with closing ceremonies at the Poček Training Area.

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 09.15.2015
    Date Posted: 09.17.2015 03:05
    Story ID: 176317
    Location: SLUNJ, HR

    Web Views: 169
    Downloads: 0

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