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American noncommissioned officers provide training for Bosnian soldiers

Photo By Tech. Sgt. Clayton Lenhardt | U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Derik Allen, National Support Element noncommissioned officer...... read more read more

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

10.28.2015

Story by Staff Sgt. Clayton Lenhardt

NATO Headquarters Sarajevo

SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina - A team of American noncommissioned officers from Camp Butmir, Bosnia and Herzegovina were invited to nearby Rajlovac Barracks to provide lectures a group of 40 soldiers in the BiH Armed Forces, Oct. 28.

Armed Forces of BiH Command Sgt. Maj. Emin Dervisevic reached out to NATO Headquarters Sarajevo senior enlisted leader, U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Harley Schwind, and requested classes taught by American military members.

“He gave me the subjects,” said Schwind. “What I did, was just simply sent an email to most of the staff here to see who’d be interested in teaching and in less than an hour three people volunteered to teach the classes.”

The subjects included military leadership, military discipline, judicial punishment and sexual harassment and assault response.

Army Sgt. First Class Derik Allen, National Support Element NCO in charge of postal operations, felt he was provided with a rare opportunity.

“I feel privileged to have the opportunity to do this, not many people get the opportunity to train another nation,” said Allen. “They usually train and teach within their own nation.”

The different training styles between the two forces allowed for an exchange of opinions, which AFBiH Sgt. Maj. Josif Mijatovic, Tactical Support Brigade Military Intelligence Battalion, speaking through an interpreter said made the briefings excellent.

AFBiH Private First Class Zemira Kljajic, Tactical Support Brigade Signal Platoon, echoed that the lessons were good.

“We had a great time today, we learned a lot,” Kljajic said through an interpreter. “Hopefully in the future there will be more opportunities to hear from you and to learn.”

Both sides expressed they wanted more opportunities to meet.

“I hope we get to do something similar again,” said U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Sharla Murrill, National Support Element NCOIC. “Maybe we’ll be invited to do something with them again, to show them what we can do.”