Each NATO member country’s contingent in an international mission includes a unit with soldiers who do not participate in joint training exercises, but who nevertheless play a vital role in the mission: “from the shadows”, they provide their colleagues with timely logistic, material and medical support for the successful fulfilment of all tasks, and manage material and financial operations in the area of deployment. Simply said, their job is to provide the contingent with food, equipment, medicines and other necessities.

In the Croatian Armed Forces, such a unit carries the name National Support Element (NSE) and is a part of the Support Command. So far, NSEs have been set up for NATO missions Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and Resolute Support (RS) in Afghanistan as well as Kosovo Force (KFOR) in Kosovo.

The size of each NSE depends on the size of the contingent it provides support to, the type of mission and the logistic possibilities in the area of the operation. The NSE which is a part of in 28^th Croatian Contingent in NATO peace support operation KFOR is made up of two members: 1st Lieutenant Nikolina Beraković and Sergeant First Class Blaženka Kasalo-Banić. Our team talked to them about their work inside the NSE as well as the pre-deployment training they had to go through in order to prepare for such a responsible duty.

Both members of the NSE in Kosovo are taking part in an international mission for the first time, although 1^st Lieutenant Beraković previously participated in international military exercises Anakonda 16 in Poland and Saber Strike 17 in Lithuania. Before departing for the mission, the two women had to pass an entrance exam which tested their knowledge of basic military skills, communications and information systems, international law of war and the rules of engagement. Furthermore, they had to go through a check of physical fitness and health. The pre-deployment training they then went through was divided into two parts.

All members of the 28^th Croatian Contingent went through the first, main part of the training together. At the Multirole Helicopter Squadron in the 91^st Air Base in Lučko, they refreshed their knowledge in the fields they had previously been tested in and some other ones, such as personnel recovery. They visited a mosque, where they learnt about Islam. An important part of the training was getting acquainted with the culture of Kosovo and the organisation of work in the area of the operation. The experience of their colleagues who had previously participated in operation KFOR helped them a great deal.

The second, specialized part of the training was conducted at the Logistics Training and Doctrine Centre in Požega. The focus of the training was on material and financial operations; the rpotagonists of this story had to get acquainted with the regulations stipulating the work of the NSE in the area of the mission. Aside from that, they had to learn how to use the MVE application and NATO’s tool for logistics reporting LOGFAS. Once they had passed both parts of the training, they were ready to depart for Kosovo.

1^st Lieutenant Beraković holds the position of the leader of the NSE. She is in charge of organizing and carrying out material and financial operations. She draws up plans for the procurement of goods and services and controls the reception of new resources. Further, she collaborates with members of NSEs from partner countries’ contingents in matters related to logistic support.

Her partner is Sergeant First Class Kasalo-Banić, who holds the position of the Logistics Non-Commissioned Officer. She designates and rents out material assets and keeps a record of rented assets. At the same time, she cares for the reserves of material assets and manages cash operations, i.e. she checks the accuracy of invoices and draws up cash transaction reports. She also helps out 1^st Lieutenant Beraković by giving proposals on how they could improve their work.

The spectrum of activities that the NSE is responsible for is a wide one; one might say it is too wide for only two people. It is not easy to execute the tasks professionally and in a given timeframe when one is miles away from home. “It is a great challenge to work far away from your parent unit and the security that it provides,” 1^st Lieutenant Beraković says. “In the area of the operation, the responsibility is much greater. Independence and certainty in work and decision-making processes are demanded.” However, the protagonists of our story complement one another well and manage to execute their tasks successfully. “We are both familiar with the tasks of a non-commissioned officer and an officer in the NSE, so in case one of us is absent, the other can perform all the duties fully and timely,” Sergeant First Class Kasalo-Banić explains.

What makes their job easy for them is its advantages: a stint in an international mission is a chance for them to demonstrate their abilities, gain new knowledge, exchange their experiences with other nations, become acquainted with a new culture and its customs, improve their knowledge of foreign languages, etc. These positive sides of an engagement abroad are the reason why the protagonists of our story would recommend joining the NSE to their colleagues. Sergeant First Class Kasalo-Banić sends the following message: “Joining the National Support Element is a unique life experience. It is a chance for professional and personal growth that you must not miss out on!”

1^st Lieutenant Nikolina Beraković was a part of the “Cadet” Study Programme and graduated from the Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences. Afterwards, she was referred to Basic Officer Training, which she completed in 2013. She is the Commander of the Material Assets Platoon in the General Logistics Support Battalion in the Support Command.

“In my career so far, I have always given 100 % of myself in order to be as successful as I can be in my job,” 1^st Lieutenant Beraković says. “Each new task is a new challenge that enables me to gain new knowledge and new skills.”

Sergeant First Class Blaženka Kasalo-Banić began her military career in 1991 as a member of the Helicopter Team of the 1^st Croatian Guard Corps. In 2001, she transferred to the position of an Ordnance NCO. Since 2013, she has been a Logistics NCO in the Multirole Helicopter Squadron.

During her years in active duty, she has finished a number of courses as well as the Advanced NCO Training, where she was named the best student and received commendation from the Minister of Defence. As a part of her civilian education, she has finished a computer course and earned a degree in Public Relations Management. She diligently works on improving her English skills.