^{May 7, 2001}

ar has erupted once again in the Balkans, and the NATO Strategic Reserve Forces (SRF) have started to re-enforce KFOR and SFOR through airdrops. Relax, it's only an exercise!

"We have been training for this exercise for about two weeks," says 1st Lt. Patrick Connelly, second in command of the Charlie Company 1st Battalion, the 508th Airborne Regiment. His unit belongs to the Strategic Reserve Forces (see the box) that NATO can use any moment to reinforce the deployment of any other NATO forces. This time they have been "dropped" in Kosovo.

The airdrop is in other words, the start of the Kosovo phase of "Dynamic Response 01" Exercise. In the middle of the Drop Zone (DZ), the 1st Lieutenant is checking the last operation of a "parachute turning point". At this point the soldiers who have performed the jump give back their parachute, both main and auxiliary. "All the men expected to come here have already passed this point."

According to their schedule, after the landing they have half an hour to reach the assembly point assigned to their platoon. Sargeant Tracy Vogel was on the third C-130 of the five-plane convoy. "I jumped from the left door. Great day, perfect weather."

So far, no complaints about the job of the Tour Manager. Under the weight of a 40 kilo heavy rucksack he starts walking to reach the rest of his unit. Couples of parachutists are still moving following the tree lines, passing through the wheat fields.

"This time the flight was quite comfortable. There were 32 fully equipped parachutists on my plane," Sergeant Winston Gatreaux says. He has just reached the assembly point and he is in Kosovo for the first time. "I landed once in Bosnia Herzegovina, Comanche DZ, close to Tuzla," he says to the KFOR Chronicle. "This time we had about a three hour flight and the last part was the tactical approach."

That means that the planes have been following the ground profile at the lowest possible altitude. Once close enough to the DZ the planes took their positions, being preceded first by a couple of F-16, they gained the jumping altitude. All the men of Charlie Company jumped with good timing out of their C-130. "I saw the green light and I just rushed out of the plane. The difference from the noise inside the plane and the silence outside always surprises me."

But there is not too much time for poetry. Once the parachute is open each, airborne has the time to give a look around, lowering down the rucksack and getting ready for the impact. "The grass was high and the air humid. A perfect landing." Only one soldier was slightly injured but was able to continue the exercise.

The Airborne Company will take over responsibility of an area of operation in the Center Brigade territory, together with a US Marine Unit belonging to the 22nd MEU.

Like in a "worst case scenario" book, NATO Strategic Reserve Forces are coming throughout the Balkans to support the peace process and as an augment to the theatre forces, and to the disposal of the commanders. The augmentation itself is not that comprehensive. About 1000 troops from the US, Italy and Argentina will be deployed in the thirteen day long exercise. The main goal for NATO is to test the capability of the command structure to deal with planning and operate the insertion of the strategic reserve in the area of operation. The exercise itself is conducted on an annual basis and for the first time both Adventure Express and Dynamic Response, two "classic" NATO exercises, are being put together.

What is new is that the strategic reserve will be deployed at the same time, both in Kosovo and in Bosnia Herzegovina.

The exercise started in Albania where the local Armed Forces will train with NATO troops and after that will be re-deployed in Kosovo where they will take responsibility of some sectors. The Units will carry out patrolling and check points at the orders of the MNBs as part of COMKFOR's in place forces.

Dynamic Response is an annually conducted exercise. The planning for the exercise began approximately 12 month ago. Of the 6 nations contributing to this years exercise, 3 will deploy forces into COMKFOR's area of responsibility, Argentina, Italy and the United States, a total of about 1400 soldiers.

The aims of the exercise are to:

• Demonstrate NATO's resolve to maintain a secure environment and deter external aggression.
• Should deterrence fail, demonstrate the capability, to defend against aggression towards Kosovo, its inhabitants, any property, and KFOR.
• Validate operational and logistical support concepts.