Military exercise “Mir 18/2” , conducted in the “Crvena zemlja“ Training Range near Knin from 9 – 11 July 2018, featured the final practice and evaluation of the operational capabilities of the components of the 9^th Croatian contingent (HRVCON) to be deployed to Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan.

The  exercise scenario featured realistic situations – the Opposing Force (OPFOR), tbe Role Player representing the RSM C2 structure, the ANSF, the local authorities, civilians and various international, governmental and NGOs; the candidates for the 9^th HRVCON have demonstrated readiness and competence to successfully fulfil the tasks during the deployment, alongside the candidates from the Albanian Armed Forces and the Army of Montenegro) and partner countries (Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina). The 9th HRVCON is manned by 106 members of the Croatian Armed Forces,  24 members of the Army of Montenegro, two members of the Albanian Armed Forces and one member of the Army of the Republic of Macedonia and commanded by Colonel Dražen Ressler. .

The evaluator team headed by the Director Colonel Davor Fanton of the Training and Doctrine Command , the Head of the Croatian Army Evaluator Team Major  Goran Grabić and Head of the Support Command Evaluator had a responsible task of evaluating all components and individual members of the Contingent. Colonel Fanton highlighted a specificity of the Exercise: the first-time and practical application of the content of the course adminstered by the Red Cross Croatia; containing  treatment of a wounded person, autonomous triage and medical treatment  (first aid) in the field.

The evaluation was first administered as In-Barracks Evaluation, followed by a 2-day Field Evaluation based on the events from the scenario, with the emphasis on the evaluation of capabilities of Force Protect – a task unit mostly manned by the members of the „“Pauci“ Battalion of the Guards Mechanised Brigade. Demonstration of capabilities of the components of  9t^h  HRVCON to RSM, in accordance to the required capabiltiies matrix and job descriptions and evaluation of their readiness  provided feedback and completed the pre-deployment procedures, NATO  CREVAL was used as a tool and methodology  of evaluator teams operation. The evaluation checklists were composed in compliance with the caoabilities matrice and contingent member job decriptions; they have beenn adjusted to non-organic units  normally evaluated through CREVAL. The applied procedure is therefore an original Croatian   evaluation standard, interoperable with NATO standards and CREVAL. All evaluating activities were montiored by the CAF General Staff Team, headed by Colonel  Mijo Kožić.

Colonel Mijo Kožić, head of  CAF General Staff  Evaluation Monitor  Team  

I would like to commend and extend appreciation to all evaluation teams who completed the CREVAL Course and applied the national readiness evaluation procedure. The exercise “Mir 18/2“ saw the implementation of a new Instruction on Monitoring and Evaluation, stating rhe procewdures and methodology and reporting formats, whereby the readiness system in the Croatian Armed Forces has been upgraded and made fully interoperable with NATO system of evaluation for peace support missions and operations.

Lt. Col.  Igor Knežević, Commander of the Training Centre, Army of Montenegro

We are currently preparing our  9^th contingent for the Resolute Support Mission which is the Army of Montenegro’s  18 contingent to Afghanistan. We have had excellent co-operation with the Croatian Armed Forces  wihile preparing all the 18 contingents and the co-operation goes on.

The evaluation teams are multinational and we have been assisted by the Croatian Armed Forces. It is very important for us to take part in the Exercise “Mir“ organised by the Croatian Armed  Forces twice a year and to use the  material and expert capacities offered by them and we feel well-accepte. We shall gladly return the assistance to the Croatian side should it be in need of it in the future.