It is announced that, European Union HELlas – Bulgaria – ROmania – Cyprus Battle Group (EU HELBROC BG) will conduct a Live Crisis Management Exercise (LIVE CME “EVROPI-II/08”) from 6 to 12 Sep 2008, at ASKOS–PROFITIS training area, inside the territory of the Hellenic Republic. “EVROPI-II/08” exercise is sponsored by the European Union and will be jointly executed, by the HELBROC EU Battle Group.
All four HELBROC BG participating countries have been involved in the planning of “EVROPI-II/08”, while more than 1200 troops will take part in the exercise. Specifically, participation is as follows:
Host Nation, Greece, with one battalion, supported by army aviation, logistics and engineer units;
Bulgaria, with one light infantry company;
Cyprus, with one military police platoon and one medical platoon and
Romania, with one Nuclear-Biological-Chemical (NBC) platoon and one Psychological Operations (PSYOPS) team.
The main goal of “EVROPI-II/08” is to conduct a coherent and complex action and achieve a level of interoperability among participating multinational elements. The exercise is designed to practice EU crisis management procedures on the field, specialized on evacuation operations, on operations that aim to separate parties and on providing humanitarian assistance.
The scenario of the exercises describes a hypothetical crisis situation raised on a fictitious island called “MESSOGIOS”. A minority of “MESSOGIOS” citizens is organised in paramilitary groups and among other violent actions, acting aggressively against a wide number of EU citizens residing on the island. Atrocities against refugees that arrive to the island from a fictitious islander country, called “BROWNLAND”, have also been reported. The scenario includes a preliminary operational planning for the activation and deployment of HELBROC BG, in order to separate the arguing parties, to prevent a humanitarian disaster within BG means and capabilities and to conduct evacuation operations, if necessary. These actions will take place after the approval of a UN mandate and the issue of an EU directive.
Media coverage is scheduled on the final phase’s episodes of the exercise “EVROPI-II/08”, on the 11th of Sep 08. These episodes focus on Humanitarian Assistance missions for the refugees living on the island, on Evacuation Operations of EU citizens and on missions that will eliminate the atrocities from the paramilitary groups.
Enquiries concerning accreditation for the 11th of Sep 2008, should be addressed through participating Countries Public Affairs Office (PAO) authorities to Lt Col Dimitrios Bonoras – Hellenic National Defence General Staff PAO, tel +30 210 657 1044, fax +30 210 642 7474, e-mail: hndgset@otenet.gr.
LTC Dimitrios Bonoras
HNDGS Spokesman