Minister Kotromanović visited Special Operations Battalion

At the beginning of the visit Minister Kotromanović was introduced with the structure, tasks, mission, and future development and reorganization of the Special Operations Battalion, by its Commander Colonel Dražen Ressler. Colonel Ressler specifically referred to the troop’s general training goals and training for maintaining the declared readiness of forces for the NRF (NATO Response Force), previous experience of participation of BSD members in the ISAF operation in Afghanistan through the operational mentoring teams, and preparation related to international military exercise “Jackal Stone”, which will be held in September in Croatia. Colonel Ressler also met the Minister with the organization of troops, as well as with dislocated deployment locations of the Special Operations Battalion, which are located in the “Kovačanje” barracks on Mali Lošinj Island, in the barracks “Josip Jović” in Udbina and in Lora Naval Base in Split. He emphasized the importance of involvement of BSD members in the assistance to civil institutions, through search and rescue, as well as this year’s engagement in evacuation of the population and delivering of food and medicine during snow storms. “This unit is elite troops, most ready for the highest challenges and you can always count on us”, Colonel Ressler said.

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Minister Kotromanović in his address said that just from the Special Operations Battalion he expected to be first and best of all, a leader and an example for other units of the Croatian Armed Forces, noting that in the further training and equipping of the troops it would have the full support of the MOD and Armed Forces. He also stressed the importance of training as a foundation for further development of the Armed Forces, and in this sense the possibility of holding joint training of BSD with other CAF combat elements. The Minister also stressed the importance of participation of BSD members in international military operations, as well as the experience gained during the Homeland War, and stressed that the experiences and knowledge gained should be used in training and in peacekeeping missions.

Minister Kotromanović also visited the memorial room of killed members of Special Forces during the Homeland War. Furthermore, he toured the facilities and accommodation in the barracks, BSD medical centre, storage of personal weapons and related equipment, and met with the members of selection training and BDS members who will participate in the OMLT teams within the next Croatian contingent in ISAF in Afghanistan. At the end of the visit Minister Kotromanović visited the BSD Tactical Operations Centre.

During the visit Minister Kotromanović was accompanied by the Deputy Chief of General Staff for Plans and Resources Lieutenant General Slavko Barić.