POSTOJNA, Slovenia - The Slovenian Armed Forces opened Immediate Response 15 by opening the doors of their largest and main training site Pocek to the local civilian population on September 10, 2015.
Immediate Response 15 is a multinational, brigade-level exercise utilizing computer-assisted simulations and field training exercises in Slovenia and Croatia.
The exercises and simulations are built upon a scenario designed to enhance regional stability, strengthen partner capacity and improve interoperability between partner nations.
The exercise will run Sept. 9-22, 2015, and will include soldiers from Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Slovenia, the U.S. and the United Kingdom.
The Slovenian Armed Forces provide military defense independently or within the alliance. Today was a chance for Slovenians to get to see and know what is going on during the exercise as well as the role of the Slovenian Army and its capabilities within a multinational force.
According to Slovenian Capt. Bernard Polanec "We organized an open day for the locals. We are trying to show them exactly what is happening during the Immediate Response 15 exercise. We have nine different working points, a short presentation about the exercise, then a dynamic show with a tactical exercise; three different (types) of vehicle rides (two types of armored personnel carriers and Humvees), an environmental safety show and a display about army life."
Additionally those who attended where able to try Slovenian military food and see the computer assisted exercise come to life by viewing a simulator similar to the one being used in the exercise.
Visitors also saw first hand the care that the army took in renovating a century old Lipizzaner horse stable into useable modern offices and meeting room for the military.
Slovenian Capt. Nina Radula, IR15 Support Officer said. "Most of the people came here to show support because they were interested in the army and the rides in the military vehicle. The people overall were very positive."
Participants had a chance to win flights on military helicopters or spend a day with the Slovenian Navy. To win contestants had to answer questions about IR15, the Slovenian army and its allies.
The hope of the Army is that the Slovenian people will be the winners by beginning to view their military as a national treasure in the same way that they view the Postojna Cave.
Immediate Response 15 supports the goal of a "Strong Europe" in that partner nations are trained and ready to combine forces to ensure unified security across allied nations. Immediate Response is a preplanned exercise that has occurred annually for the past five years.
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