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I was honored to have been chosen recently as the only civilian member of a small team tasked with traveling to Bosnia-Herzegovina as part of the Department of Defense Partnership for Peace Program.
This program is designed to assist partner countries in building their governmental infrastructure. My assignment was to share expertise relating to the civilian response to natural disasters and hazardous materials incidents. The audience consisted of 30 senior military personnel and two federal planners. Initially, I was hesitant to discuss such matters before a group that has in the recent past endured a horrendous civil war that included a siege of Sarajevo (the city where the class was held). That thought was quickly dismissed by the participants, who assured me that they were anxious to discuss the issues.
During my stay in Sarajevo, I gave a total of six presentations on hazardous material and natural disaster responses. These included an exercise based on the July, 2001, Howard Street tunnel fire and another designed to prepare participants to respond to emergencies associated with earthquake disasters. Each exercise tasked the group with working together to prioritize their goals and develop a planning strategy to meet those goals. As I expected, the outcome in each case was impressive, the goals were realistic, and the strategies logical and well thought-out.
Welcome to Sarajevo
On a personal note, I found Sarajevo to be a truly beautiful city, though the effects of the siege are everywhere, with damaged buildings and memorials attesting to the loss of life. The European Union and the United States still maintain a military presence, and the threat of landmines is constant. It is noteworthy that, with all that has happened and is currently happening, the general population is carrying on. The transit system (buses and streetcars) is running, and traffic is heavy. The marketplaces are crowded, and people are going about their normal routines. I would welcome an opportunity to return, and hope that my visit has in some small way helped the government better prepare for possible emergencies.
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