“Jackal Stone 09” Initial Press Conference held in Zemunik

“Jackal Stone 09” Initial Press Conference held in Zemunik

“Jackal Stone 09” Initial Press Conference was held today, September 10, 2009, in Zemunik Barracks near Zadar. The program and activities within the exercise were presented. The press conference attended Deputy Commander of the Exercise Brigadier General Drazen Scuri, Chief of Joint Staff of Special Task Forces Navy Captain Steve Wisotzki, and Officer of primary responsibility for exercise execution Colonel Nikola Zupanic.

At the beginning of the conference General Scuri informed all the present media representatives that 1500 participants from 10 countries, Albania, Lithuania, Hungary, Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Sweden, Ukraine, United States and Croatia would participate in the exercise, and explained that, after the arrival of all participants, followed the independent tactical training and exercise execution.
“During the exercise execution, no live ammunition will be used, only non-live ammunition from small arms,” said General Scuri, stressing the importance of environmental protection during exercise execution and the fact that all Croatian laws and regulations related to environmental protection would be respected.

General Scuri said that all participants on the exercise pay its costs. The Croatian side as the host country provided the accommodation in existing facilities and barracks, while the United States bear the cost of food for almost all participants on the exercise. Therefore, this exercise will not generate additional costs for the Republic of Croatia in relation to the normal functioning of the Croatian Armed Forces.

At the end general Scuri acknowledged the media representatives with humanitarian project of water supply construction for city of Udbina, a donation of the U.S. Special Command Europe (SOCEUR) with the support of the Government of the Republic of Croatia, Licko-Senjska County and the Office of Defense Cooperation of the U.S. Embassy to Croatia.