TUZLA, Bosnia --- Maj. Gen. James L. Campbell, commander of NATO's Multinational Division (North), has announced plans to reduce and restructure the Stabilization Force in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The restructuring is a result of the significantly improved security conditions within Bosnia, Campbell said.
Under the North Atlantic Council-approved plan, overall SFOR troop strength will be reduced by approximately 30 percent over the next few months. Currently, about 32,000 troops from almost 40 nations serve in the SFOR. Three multi-national divisions along with the main headquarters make up the organization of SFOR. About 6,000 U.S. troops are part of SFOR's Multinational Division (North).
The 10th Mountain Division (Light) from Fort Drum, N.Y., is currently assigned as the headquarters element of Multinational Division (North). A brigade headquarters, some division headquarters elements, and the majority of one infantry battalion from the 10th Mountain may redeploy earlier than previously scheduled as part of the force reduction, said Campbell, who also serves as commanding general of the 10th Mountain Division.
Additionally, elements from the Army's 1st Infantry Division from Fort Riley, Kansas and a number of Army Reserve and National Guard soldiers from around the nation may also redeploy early, Campbell said. "While there will be fewer soldiers in our area of operations, we will retain a very robust and responsive force, capable of quickly and effectively handling any threat to peace, stability, and progress," Campbell said.
Other elements of Multinational Division (North) include the Russian Separate Airborne Brigade, the Nordic-Polish Brigade, and the Turkish Brigade. Leaders of the Nordic-Polish Brigade and Turkish Brigade will also restructure their units based on the improved security conditions within Bosnia and Herzegovina, officials said. The Russian Separate Airborne Brigade's leadership is also considering troop reductions.
The SFOR mission remains to provide a safe and secure environment for the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina so that they can recover from war and rebuild their lives, Campbell said. He said as peace becomes more and more a part of everyday life, SFOR will gradually be reduced over time through a careful and deliberate process. The restructuring process will be complete by spring 2000, officials said.
The next U.S. rotation to Bosnia in March will be headed by the 49th Armored Division, Texas National Guard. Last week, the Army announced that three of the next six SFOR rotations will be commanded by Army National Guard divisions. Virginia's 29th Infantry Division will command MND (North) in October 2001 and Pennsylvania's 28th Infantry Division in October 2002.
The Army set a historical precedent earlier this year, officials said, when it designated the 49th Armored Division as the headquarters for both active and reserve component forces participating in SFOR 7. They said the rotation plan is another step in the Army leadership's intent to complete full integration of the active and reserve components.
Under the plan, active and reserve component units from the continental United States will rotate to Bosnia for 6-12 month periods under a single integrated command structure.
The 3d Infantry Division (Mechanized) at Fort Stewart, Ga. will serve as Task Force Eagle Headquarters for SFOR 8 and SFOR 9 from October 2000 to October 2001. The 3d Infantry Division (Mechanized) will command two battalion-level task forces for each rotation.
The SFOR 8 battalion task forces will be composed of companies from the 3rd Infantry Division, 30th Infantry Brigade of the North Carolina National Guard, 45th Infantry Brigade of the Oklahoma National Guard and 25th Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.
During SFOR 9, the battalion task forces will be composed of companies from 3rd Infantry Division, 48th Infantry Brigade of the Georgia National Guard and 25th Infantry Division.
The 29th Infantry Division (Light) of the Virginia National Guard will serve as Task Force Eagle Headquarters for SFOR 10 from October 2001 to April 2002. The battalion task forces will be composed of companies from the 29th Infantry Division, 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, N.Y. (its active-duty teamed division) and 155th Armor Brigade of the Mississippi National Guard..
The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Fort Campbell, Ky. will serve as Task Force Eagle Headquarters for SFOR 11 from April to October 2002. The battalion task forces will be composed of companies from 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), the 116th Armor Brigade of the Idaho National Guard and the 76th Infantry Brigade of the Indiana National Guard.
The 28th Infantry Division (Mechanized) of the Pennsylvania National Guard will serve as Task Force Eagle Headquarters for SFOR 12 from October 2002 to April 2003. The battalion task forces will be composed of companies from 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized), its active-duty teamed division, the 218th Infantry Brigade and 25th Infantry Division.
The rotation plan will increase the Army's readiness by providing better linkages between the active and reserve components, officials said, providing predictability for soldiers and units, and mitigating the effects of operational tempo.
Under the SFOR rotation plan, active and reserve component divisions will form "AC/RC mission capabilities teams," officials said. They explained that the "teaming," concept has traditionally paired a reserve component division with an active Army division. In Bosnia, teams will share responsibility for carrying out the SFOR mission.
Since 1989, the number of Army deployments has grown by over 300 percent, yet the Army's active and reserve components have shrunk by over 40 percent, officials said. The missions of the post-Cold War environment, coupled with down-sizing, necessitate increased use of the reserve components, they said.
Since December 1995, a NATO-led international force has been deployed to Bosnia to implement military aspects of the Dayton Peace Accords. SFOR and IFOR, its predecessor, have played a key role in bringing peace to this part of the Balkans by establishing a safe and secure environment, Campbell said
