NATO Troops Deploy to Bosnia Amid Harsh Weather Conditions

Strategic Insights -

Despite snow and dense fog, a fleet of US transport planes carrying an advance guard of NATO troops to take over the Bosnian peacekeeping mission from the United Nations resumed landing on Tuesday. The troops are scheduled to replace UN soldiers in Tuzla and pave the way for a force of 20,000 heavily armed US soldiers. The harsh winter weather has slowed deployment, but military commanders are optimistic the troops will be in place before Wednesday's official ceremony in Sarajevo.

Key Takeaways:

  • The first 30 flights of NATO troops, including 48 soldiers from the 1st Armored Division, arrived in Tuzla on Tuesday, marking the beginning of the transition from UN to NATO-led forces.
  • US transport planes carrying the advance guard of NATO troops are scheduled to continue landing, with a total of 800 troops expected to arrive by late Tuesday.
  • The deployment of NATO forces is part of a peace agreement signed on December 14 in Paris by the leaders of Croatia, Bosnia, and Serbia, which divides Bosnia into regions for ethnic Croats and Muslim Bosnians, and an autonomous region for Bosnian Serbs.
  • The accord ends four years of war in the former Yugoslav republics.
  • The US, European, and Russian forces are deploying in Bosnia to help police the peace agreement.
  • Military commanders are optimistic the troops will be in place before Wednesday's official ceremony in Sarajevo, marking the turnover of the UN mission to a NATO-led alliance.
  • The harsh winter weather has slowed deployment, but may also keep Bosnian rivals at bay, allowing the troops to establish a secure environment before the weather improves.
  • The US military has already deployed 281 personnel in Bosnia, 1,666 at a staging area in Hungary, 529 in Croatia, and over 1,200 military support personnel in Italy.
  • The bulk of personnel have arrived on some 240 C-130 flights, with others going by bus and train.
  • Heavy equipment and bridge-building materials are also being transported to the region to span the Sava River, which serves as a natural border between Croatia and Bosnia.

Statistics:

  • 30 flights carrying NATO troops are scheduled to land in Tuzla.
  • 48 troops from the 1st Armored Division are the first of 800 soldiers expected to arrive by late Tuesday.
  • The UN peacekeeping mission is set to turn over to a NATO-led alliance on Wednesday.
  • 281 US military personnel are already in Bosnia.
  • 1,666 US military personnel are at a staging area in Hungary.
  • 529 US military personnel are in Croatia.
  • Over 1,200 US military support personnel are in Italy.
  • 240 C-130 flights have transported personnel to the region.
  • The Sava River serves as a natural border between Croatia and Bosnia.

Sources:

  • U.S. Army Master Sgt. Carol Sobel
  • U.S. Admiral Leighton Smith, NATO's southern commander
  • Pentagon officials in Washington
  • Article by CHRIS SIMON TUZLA, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Dec. 18 (no publication mentioned)