- SFOR
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Maritime Monitor – Sky Monitor – Maritime Guard – Deny Flight – Sharp Guard – Deliberate Force – IFOR – SFOR
Members of the Dutch, French and U.S. military watch as an Italian honour guard hoists the new Stabilisation Force flag during the Stabilisation Force (SFOR) activation ceremony in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, on the 20 of December 1996.
The Stabilisation Force (SFOR) was a NATO-led multinational peacekeeping force in Bosnia and Herzegovina which was tasked with upholding the Dayton Agreement. It replaced the previous force IFOR. SFOR was established in Security Council Resolution 1088 on December 12, 1996.
Contents
Member forces
The SFOR operated under the code names Operation Joint Guard (December 21, 1996 - June 19, 1998) and Operation Joint Forge (June 20, 1998 - December 2, 2004). NATO nations providing troops included:
Non-NATO nations providing troops included:
Structure and mission
The commanders of the SFOR who each served one-year terms were General William W. Crouch, General Eric Shinseki, General Montgomery Meigs, Lt. General Ronald Adams, Lt. General Michael Dodson, Lt. General John Sylvester, Lt. General William E. Ward, and Major General Virgil Packett. [1], Brigadier General Steven P. Schook
Troop levels were reduced to approximately 12,000 by the close of 2002, and to approximately 7,000 by the close of 2004. During NATO's 2004 Istanbul Summit the end of the SFOR mission was announced.
It was replaced by the European Union's EUFOR Althea, on 2 December 2004 at NATO HQ, Camp Butmir, Sarajevo, B-H.
Sentry at "Mud" Govern by United States Army by Col. Gary N. "Butch" Cassidy. This painting represents typical duty for the task force.SFOR was divided into three zones of operation:
- Mostar MNB(S)-Italian, French, Spanish
- Banja Luka MND(W)- British, Canadian, Czech, Dutch. The British code name for their activities in both IFOR and SFOR was Operation Resolute.
- Tuzla MND(N)- American, Turkish, Polish, Russian, Norwegian, Swedish, Danish.
The three AOs were known collectively as Multi National Divisions until the end of 2002 where they were reduced in scope to Multi National Brigades.
SFOR was operating under peace enforcement, not peacekeeping rules of engagement. For example, it was cleared, in 1997, to neutralize Serb radio-television facilities. [1]
US service people serving in SFOR were awarded the NATO Medal.
References
Further reading
- Phillips, R. Cody. Bosnia-Hertsegovinia: The U.S. Army's Role in Peace Enforcement Operations 1995-2004. Washington, D.C.: United States Army Center of Military History. CMH Pub 70-97-1. http://www.history.army.mil/brochures/Bosnia-Herzegovina/Bosnia-Herzegovina.htm.
External links
Categories:- History of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- History of Republika Srpska
- NATO-led peacekeeping in the former Yugoslavia
- Law enforcement in Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Military acronyms
- Acronyms
- Military history of Bosnia and Herzegovina
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