STARS AND STRIPES (USA), Thursday, March 16, 2006
The Naples, Italy-based NATO Allied Joint Force Command headquarters is leading a battalion of German soldiers to Kosovo as part of an operational rehearsal called Determined Effort 2006.
The deployment began March 16 and the rehearsal will continue throughout the year. The German operational reserve force battalion will be in Kosovo through May 5.
The deployment is designed to ensure that NATO forces are prepared to respond to any crisis in the Balkans, according to the organization's press release. It is also supposed to demonstrate that NATO can reinforce units in the region with its reserve forces.
Units deployed during Determined Effort will conduct various missions and become familiarized with the area. [...]