12A54 Posted July 7, 2014 Share #1 Posted July 7, 2014 "The Implementation Force (IFOR) was a NATO-led multinational force in Bosnia and Herzegovina under a one year mandate from 20 December 1995 to 20 December 1996 under the codename Operation Joint Endeavor to implement the military Annexes of The General Framework Agreement for Peace (GFAP) in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This was NATO's first ever out-of-area land deployment. At its height, IFOR involved troops from 32 countries and numbered some 54,000 troops in-country (BiH) and around 80,000 involved troops in total (with support and reserve troops stationed in Crotia, Hungary, Germany, Italy and also on ships in the Adriatic). The tasks of the Land Component were carried out by three Multi National Divisions: Mostar MND(SE) - French led; Banja Luka MND(SW) - British led and Tuzla MND(N) - American led.” [The eight-year “Stabilization Force”, or SFOR, followed.] Because of its short duration, items related to it are somewhat rare. I managed to accumulate many items during my tour, having served at Division and Battalion levels. The multinational division (centered around the US 1AD) included elements from Russia, Turkey, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. I was attached out of sector on operations in Sarajevo to both the French 6th Division and the Italian Garibaldi Brigade. My battalion worked with the German contingent and BELUGA Group (Belgium, Luxembourg, Greece) during elections in late 1996. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manayunkman Posted July 7, 2014 Share #2 Posted July 7, 2014 I had a huge grouping from a Pa. 28th ID vet who collected stuff from everybody during his tour. A forum member currently has it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12A54 Posted July 7, 2014 Author Share #3 Posted July 7, 2014 First up is a selection of IFOR patches for both air and ground components. Taborfalva was a gunnery range in Hungary which we set up during the mission to keep Bradley and Abrams crews qualified. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12A54 Posted July 7, 2014 Author Share #4 Posted July 7, 2014 These are patches worn within allied units that were subordinate to MND North, the US First Armored Division. The IFOR patch top left was worn by Hungarian troops that secured/guarded a bridge in my sector. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12A54 Posted July 7, 2014 Author Share #5 Posted July 7, 2014 Croat Orasje Corps Table banner given to me by its commander. Cap badge given to me by a Serb Brigade Commander. Serb and Croat shoulder patches. (My battalion was up north in the Posavina Corridor and the Orasje Pocket was part of our sector.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12A54 Posted July 7, 2014 Author Share #6 Posted July 7, 2014 Pocket fobs worn by various allied organizations. Top, l-r: German and BELUGA contingents that supported my battalion during the ’96 elections; Danish battalion under our division. Bottom left - I worked with some American service members who wore the (very rare) Allied Counterintelligence (ACIU) fob. Bottom right - our next higher HQ, the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king802 Posted July 7, 2014 Share #7 Posted July 7, 2014 I served with the British Army over there under UNPROFOR which preceded the IFOR mission. My younger brother served on the IFOR mission and received a commendation from the US Army. Several US Servicemen were unfortunately killed by sniper fire on his tour. My Battlegroup lost 5 during my tour. RIP Rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12A54 Posted July 7, 2014 Author Share #8 Posted July 7, 2014 IFOR souvenir flags. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12A54 Posted July 7, 2014 Author Share #9 Posted July 7, 2014 My IFOR ID badge that gave me access to command posts. (I have blurred out my photo and info.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12A54 Posted July 7, 2014 Author Share #10 Posted July 7, 2014 The very nice citation that accompanied the NATO Medal when awarded. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12A54 Posted July 7, 2014 Author Share #11 Posted July 7, 2014 Souvenir IFOR statue of a US Soldier and the box it came in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12A54 Posted July 7, 2014 Author Share #12 Posted July 7, 2014 My brigade (First Brigade, First Armored Division) had these made at a local munitions factory that we monitored. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12A54 Posted July 7, 2014 Author Share #13 Posted July 7, 2014 I have lots more, but all allied stuff I've collected over the years all related to IFOR. If you want to see any more, just PM me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12A54 Posted July 7, 2014 Author Share #14 Posted July 7, 2014 Rich - thanks for your service as well as your brother's. I was there a bit before IFOR and worked with UNPROFOR Sector NE on the transition. I enjoyed serving beside our British colleagues. We also lost a number throughout the mission to mine strikes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12A54 Posted July 7, 2014 Author Share #15 Posted July 7, 2014 I had a huge grouping from a Pa. 28th ID vet who collected stuff from everybody during his tour. A forum member currently has it. Manay - I would suspect that he was on one of the SFOR mission rotations, not IFOR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunbunnyB/3/75FA Posted July 7, 2014 Share #16 Posted July 7, 2014 very cool items Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmerc20 Posted July 9, 2014 Share #17 Posted July 9, 2014 I'm jealous. They wouldn't let us keep our ID badge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorBn Posted July 12, 2014 Share #18 Posted July 12, 2014 Manay - I would suspect that he was on one of the SFOR mission rotations, not IFOR. Maybe in the early SFOR period? I served with soldiers from the 28th in Sarajevo in '97, the unit was a fire finder battery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thor996 Posted July 12, 2014 Share #19 Posted July 12, 2014 very cool -don't see too much about IFOR stuff thanks for sharing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12A54 Posted July 12, 2014 Author Share #20 Posted July 12, 2014 Maybe in the early SFOR period? I served with soldiers from the 28th in Sarajevo in '97, the unit was a fire finder battery I don't think there were any 28th Soldiers during IFOR, but perhaps a few augmentees? Multinational Division North was comprised of active duty First Armored Division with attached units from First Infantry Division, V Corps, and perhaps some theater-level troops. We had two radar units and a fire support element in Sarajevo (French 6th Division sector). Maybe some SF. The IFOR mission ended in 1996 and several rotations of SFOR ensued. Many of the later SFOR rotations were NG units. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thor996 Posted July 12, 2014 Share #21 Posted July 12, 2014 Thank you for asking me to add to the thread - these are a couple I've collected: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thor996 Posted July 12, 2014 Share #22 Posted July 12, 2014 and a Morale Patch that I also obtained with the pocket hanger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mvmhm Posted July 12, 2014 Share #23 Posted July 12, 2014 I like that YFOR badger! I was the at the end of IFOR and the first couple of days of SFOR (1st Combat Comm, Eagle Base Tuzla, July 28th - Dec 25th 1996)...I brought back some of the UXO books, a JNA Air Force button I found outside our comm tent, and a JNA Private's greatcoat I found....there was a crashed MIG and a trainer I really wanted to cut the Yugo insignia off of, but decided not to risk it.... Mark sends Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thor996 Posted July 13, 2014 Share #24 Posted July 13, 2014 I like that YFOR badger! I was the at the end of IFOR and the first couple of days of SFOR (1st Combat Comm, Eagle Base Tuzla, July 28th - Dec 25th 1996)...I brought back some of the UXO books, a JNA Air Force button I found outside our comm tent, and a JNA Private's greatcoat I found....there was a crashed MIG and a trainer I really wanted to cut the Yugo insignia off of, but decided not to risk it.... Mark sends thank you. I wish I had another one like it but i don't- I picked this up and the pocket hanger [and a bunch of other things] at a yard sale believe it or not. I am pretty sure I got them both for under 10$ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave peifer Posted July 14, 2014 Share #25 Posted July 14, 2014 I had a huge grouping from a Pa. 28th ID vet who collected stuff from everybody during his tour. A forum member currently has it. and intend keeping it........along with the kosovo group Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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