In the camps “Villagio Italia”, “Novo Selo” and “Film City”, the commander of the 48th Austrian contingent in Kosovo, Colonel Berthold Sandtner, presented the Austrian soldiers of the KFOR force with the NATO “Non-Article 5 Balkans” medals.
Visible sign of recognition
The deployment medals are a visible sign of recognition and distinction for the successful completion of a foreign deployment. The ceremonial awarding of the medals signals to the troops that their deployment is coming to an end and that they will soon be returning home. Contingent commander Colonel Sandtner paid tribute to the work of the past six months and particularly emphasized the high international standing of the Austrian soldiers.
Austrian Armed Forces in Kosovo
Due to its geographical proximity, Austria has a particular interest in the peaceful and stable development of the entire Balkan region. In order to help the people in Kosovo, the federal government therefore decided in June 1999 to deploy a federal army contingent (AUTCON/KFOR) to help with the reconstruction of the region. The contingent currently numbers between 400 and 500 soldiers.
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