SPFOR XXVII

On 16th January Task Force SPFOR XXVII began its mission in Bosnia Herzegovina that will continue until mid April 2006. Task Force “Baleares” (SPFOR XXVII) is made up by core troops from the Balearic General Command.

Under the command of Colonel Santiago Gómez de Valenzuela, the force is made up of 363 servicepeople, 167 of whom belong to the Balearic General Command, and to whom are added a Marine Infantry Company and elements form the 41st Logistics Group in Zaragoza. The unit is articulated into a Command Headquarters, Headquarters Support Unit, Telecommunications Unit (CIS) and a Rifle Company, as well as medical and administrative teams.

This is the first time that the Balearic General Command leads the force.

The Spanish Task Force is integrated into the EU force (EUFOR) in Multinational Task Force South East la Task-Force “Salamandra”, based on “Base Europa” (Mostar), which since 31st August last has been at the command of Spanish Brigadier General Benito Raggio Cochinero, and is made up of units from Italy, France, Germany, Albania, Morocco and Slovenia, in addition to Spain, once that, on 2nd December 2004, the mission was handed over from the NATO Stabilisation Force (SFOR), giving rise to operation ALTHEA.