How many from IFOR?

1SG David Niles — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 20:00:38 -0400

How many went in, in Dec 95, how many believed the President statement that we would only be their a year. How many remember the Secretary Brown Airplane "Accident"? Many questions to stimulate discussion.

Response by SGM Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 27 at 2014 6:48 PM

SGM Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 18:48:04 -0400

Been there, done that...and yes, remember the accident and conspiracy stories.

Response by SSG Kenneth Lanning made Apr 28 at 2015 11:49 AM

SSG Kenneth Lanning — Tue, 28 Apr 2015 11:49:34 -0400

Camp Demi 1996/1997...last three months of the IFOR mission.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made May 27 at 2015 2:51 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 27 May 2015 14:51:41 -0400

I was part of the SFOR group and can remember how missed up things were even at that point and this was 2 years later. Altogether it wasn't a bad deployment... Most driving and Guard Duty over the good old Blue Factory (Guardian Base).

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 13 at 2015 4:47 PM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 13 Jul 2015 16:47:36 -0400

I was there 1997 to 1998 (SFOR) and assigned to the Office of the High Representative. There were a number of crashes during that time. One involved the German Ambassador to OHR and several of my friends when their helicopter clipped a mountain top. The crew survived, but everyone in the passenger compartment died. The mountain valleys were treacherous and the general rule of thumb for low visibility flying was to double the minimum flight level. Our pilots were great! One UH60 got me to Brcko from Sarajevo in record time.

Response by SFC Jason Porter made Jul 27 at 2015 6:05 AM

SFC Jason Porter — Mon, 27 Jul 2015 06:05:03 -0400

I was there from Aug 96 to Dec 96. With A TRP 1/4 CAV. Spent most of my time in Olovo and Up on CP 54.

Response by SFC Wade W. made Sep 18 at 2015 12:14 AM

SFC Wade W. — Fri, 18 Sep 2015 00:14:36 -0400

I remember. My MP platoon was the first unit to cross the Sava river with the force provider package, a bunch of civilian trucks with the supplies for base camps. We knew President Clinton was wrong about the one year thing. We also knew that we would be outside the base after dark. We knew our mission and we were proud to help the locals reclaim their homes and villages. It was an interesting year and educational for a fairly new squad leader. I am proud of being a part of IFOR.

Response by SSG Mike Sommer made Oct 18 at 2015 12:04 AM

SSG Mike Sommer — Sun, 18 Oct 2015 00:04:36 -0400

I was there. IFOR 536th MP CO. Deployed in December. Got to the SAVA and had to wait because of the flooding. Tuzla airfield west and we were the first there.

Response by SGT Neal Harlow made Oct 27 at 2015 7:47 PM

SGT Neal Harlow — Tue, 27 Oct 2015 19:47:07 -0400

I went to SFOR in 97

Response by SFC Darrell Adams made Oct 27 at 2015 9:50 PM

SFC Darrell Adams — Tue, 27 Oct 2015 21:50:44 -0400

I joined my unit 141 Signal Battalion at Commanche Base in March 1996 until November 1996. In September 1997, we returned, except this time we were on Tuzla Main until March 1998. The first deployment I traveled all over the US Sector mainly on convoy escort. I shot 14 rolls of film. The second deployment, I left basecamp 1 time! I was the NCOIC of our Electronic Maintenance Shop at the time and couldn't leave.

Response by SSG Robert Stewart made Jan 5 at 2016 1:23 AM

SSG Robert Stewart — Tue, 05 Jan 2016 01:23:39 -0500

Initially served with United Nations Transporting Relief Convoys to Sarajevo, Bosnia 92-93 while stationed in Germany. Deployed with the 720th MP Battalion in support of IFOR April 1996 with the 64th MP CO. Assigned to Camp Alisha,(Renamed Dobol under SFOR), Linda, PAT, and then finally to Camp Demi 4 months prior to change over to SFOR. Remained in Bosnia for 12 months. When they said all the IFOR troops and the 1st Armored Division had been redeployed, they forgot to mention that they left the CONUS Military Police and 82nd ABN DIV MPS to Hold in place for the 1st Infantry to take over as SFOR.

Response by SFC John McClain made Jan 31 at 2016 11:13 AM

SFC John McClain — Sun, 31 Jan 2016 11:13:23 -0500

I ran the search and rescue ops from MEDCC in C-SPT in Zagreb, Croatia and attached 3 German helicopters to find it in the cliffs of Dubrovnik, after Croatia Health Minister Ploviche called that locals reported the crash in the fog on a Channel Fight that should have been Grounded. Helicopters located but had to access on foot. 2 initial survived the crash, but were too injured to survive trip down 70 foot cliff.

Response by SPC Keith Smith made Feb 11 at 2016 8:16 PM

SPC Keith Smith — Thu, 11 Feb 2016 20:16:41 -0500

I was with 17th Sig. We set up on Dec 24th in a field just outside zupanja Croatia. The transition base camp would later be built in an adjoining field.

Response by CW4 Leonard White made Apr 28 at 2016 12:08 PM

CW4 Leonard White — Thu, 28 Apr 2016 12:08:42 -0400

I was stationed 1st Armored Div in Germany when President Clinton announced that 1st AD would be going (my unit had been training to go since the beginning of September 95). I never believed for one second that we would only be there for a year. I told my buddy that DoD has never been to an Airfield they wanted to give up...he didn't believe me. In April 96 we started pouring concrete...that was all the confirmation I needed.

Response by MSG John Hill made Oct 17 at 2016 3:41 PM

MSG John Hill — Mon, 17 Oct 2016 15:41:43 -0400

Between the mid nineties into the later two thousands, 10th SFG(A) served in various roles and capacities throughout all three portions which jelled into what is now Bosnia Herzegovina (BH). Other than some CIF operations, I had the pleasure of serving three separate six month deployments as a Joint Commissioned Observer (JCO) in BH. In a nutshell, our mission as JCO's was to be a functional conduit between 'Big Army' and the key players in stabilizing and rebuilding post war BH. We would accomplish this by deploying a Special Forces company C2 element (SOCCE) into Sarajevo with it's ODA's inserted into key civilian communities in all three factions portions of BH. I was in one Federation (Bosniac) city named Vares and two RS (Republika Srpska / Serbian) cities named Vlasenica and Zvornik.

We worked in two man teams where we facilitated meeting between major US Army command elements all the way down to company level command elements and key leadership in the current military and civilian leaders of our areas of responsibility. In overseeing these meetings, we ensured that the US Army and BH infrastructure and military worked together to rebuild a functional relationship during the rebuilding of a nation through the fragile peace accords which were in place and constantly challenged for one-upmanship in the three factions desire for more land and control.

We lived in contracted civilian housing, imbedded in the civilian communities, and I'd like to believe that we helped win the hearts and minds of the local populous during the rebuilding of a nation. Traveling in a low profile with no visible weapons helped in the locals accept us, trust us to whatever degree we could be accepted, and establish report with key players in negotiating and keeping a fragile peace. It didn't always go well, especially when President Clinton began lobbing cruise missiles right across the Drina river into Serbia proper, but we did what we could to keep the peace.

These deployments were THE most valuable and treasured Foreign Internal Defense (FID) missions that I had the pleasure to be associated with in my twenty two plus year SF career, and I can honestly say that we did make a difference.

De Oppresso Liber,

JC Hill

Response by SPC Matt Bowers made Nov 14 at 2016 3:13 AM

SPC Matt Bowers — Mon, 14 Nov 2016 03:13:59 -0500

I went in Dec 96 IFOR and stayed through SFOR till Apr 97. Cp. Bedrock. 62nd eng bn US Army

Response by SFC Eamonn Walsh made Mar 30 at 2017 11:26 PM

SFC Eamonn Walsh — Thu, 30 Mar 2017 23:26:49 -0400

I landed in Tuzla Airbase, later Eagle Base, in a C130, 11 December 1995 with the ADC-M BG Cherrie, HHC 1AD (FWD) TACRAT Security Element we set up the TAC outside of the Headquarters Building "White House" untill the rest of the Division crossed the Sava River in January. I remember a cold winter with frigid nights, snow,and ankle deep mud. We had to set up the Z.O.S. to "Keep em Separated" and it slowly becoming "Groundhog Day" I remember Secretary Brown, He was at the morning briefing with MG Nash and BG Cherrie and I was on duty when we recived word of his plane not landing, and later when his death was confirmed. Sad day for all. I remained at Eagle Base as "Palace Security" thru September 1996. we did a good thing.

Response by COL Rich McKinney made Jan 1 at 2018 12:43 PM

COL Rich McKinney — Mon, 01 Jan 2018 12:43:54 -0500

I was in IFOR. The Civil Affairs Bn assigned to the Brit sector.

Response by SGT Shawn Biederwolf made May 15 at 2018 2:19 PM

SGT Shawn Biederwolf — Tue, 15 May 2018 14:19:44 -0400

1SG Niles, I was but a young lad back then. I was with 3/5CAV at camp McGovern up in beck which is now closed

Response by SSG Sophie Blake made May 18 at 2018 5:28 PM

SSG Sophie Blake — Fri, 18 May 2018 17:28:39 -0400

December '95 - November '96 at Brcko.

Response by SGT Neal Harlow made Nov 18 at 2020 1:29 AM

SGT Neal Harlow — Wed, 18 Nov 2020 01:29:41 -0500

I was there in 96 right after it turned to SFOR.

After seeing it first hand I knew we would be there a while.

Response by SGT James Hall made Nov 19 at 2020 8:55 AM

SGT James Hall — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 08:55:49 -0500

I was there in 96 with 1/26 1ID and also went to the crash site when Hon Ron Brown’s plane went down. Remember it all well. I also went back to Bosnia in 98 from Ft Hood, 2/5 CAV.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 19 at 2021 12:14 AM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 19 Nov 2021 00:14:21 -0500

Ya I was deployed to IFOR and SFOR and I sure didn’t believe Mr Clinton lol

Response by SPC Jeremy Kessler made Jan 27 at 2022 1:51 PM

SPC Jeremy Kessler — Thu, 27 Jan 2022 13:51:49 -0500

23 months. Sarajevo, tuzla and tazar Hungary.