Operation Able Sentry

Task Force Able Sentry [TFAS], a US Army force attached to the United Nations Preventive Deployment Force (UNPREDEP), was established 12 July 1993 to monitor and report activity along the Former Yugoslavia Republic of Macedonia (FYROM)/Serbia border area which could undermine confidence and stability or threaten the territory of FYROM. UNPREDEP was established as a peacekeeping operation under Chapter VI of the UN Charter, and UNPREDEP operations in FYROM are conducted under UN auspices. The headquarters of the US task force, Camp Able Sentry, is located near the FYROM capital of Skopje. There are 27 countries participating in UNPREDEP with the majority of troops coming from the United States, Finland, Indonesia, Norway, Denmark, and Sweden.

The United Nations Protection Force [UNPROFOR] was the largest, most expensive and most complex peace operation in the history of the United Nations. The Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia is the most southern of the six former republics of Yugoslavia. It shares borders with Albania, Kosovo, Greece, the Former Republic of Yugoslavia and Bulgaria. The FYROM declared its independence in late 1991. When ethnic armed conflict broke out in the other five former Yugoslav states, FYROM President Gligorov and the United Nations became concerned that spillover fighting from warring factions to the North would move into the FYROM. On 11 November 1992, the President of Macedonia conveyed to the Secretary-General a request for the deployment of United Nations observers in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in view of his concern about the possible impact on it of fighting elsewhere in the former Yugoslavia.

On 9 December, the Secretary-General submitted to the Council a report in which he recommended an expansion of the mandate and strength of UNPROFOR to establish a United Nations presence on Macedonia's borders with Albania and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro). He indicated that the Force's mandate would be essentially preventive, to monitor and report any developments in the border areas which could undermine confidence and stability in Macedonia and threaten its territory. The Secretary-General recommended that the enlargement of UNPROFOR comprise an estimated battalion of up to 700 all ranks, 35 military observers, 26 civilian police monitors, 10 civil affairs staff, 45 administrative staff and local interpreters. This contingent would operate under UNPROFOR's "Macedonia Command" with headquarters in Skopje, the capital of Macedonia. The Security Council, by its resolution 795 (1992) of 11 December, approved the Secretary-General's report and authorized the establishment of UNPROFOR's presence in Macedonia.

In February 1993, the UN deployed a Nordic Battalion, consisting of Finnish, Swedish and Norwegian troops. In March 1993, the UN Preventive Deployment Command became operation with a force of approximately 700 soldiers on the FYROM?s northern and northwestern border stretching from Bulgaria to Albania. In May 1993, the Joint Chiefs of Staff for the US articulated support for the UNPREDEP by considering the deployment of US military forces to the FYROM.

On 31 March 1995, the Security Council decided to restructure UNPROFOR, replacing it with three separate but interlinked peacekeeping operations. Security Council Resolution 983 of 31 March 1995 changed the name of UNPROFOR within the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to the United Nations Preventive Deployment Force (UNPREDEP).

UNPREDEP is divided into two sectors, the Nordic Battalion, primarily bordering Albania and Kosovo, and the US Battalion, primarily bordering the Former Republic of Yugoslavia. United States Reserve, National Guard and active-duty servicemembers as well as Department of Defense civilians have participated in this United Nations peacekeeping effort.

Initial TFAS operations began 16 July 1993. A 30-day orientation and training period began that taught TFAS soldiers UN Peacekeeping Operation procedures. In August 1993 TFAS moved forward and occupied Observation Points 55 and 56 on the FRY-FYROM border and began patrolling on 21 August 1993. During the second rotation of soldiers to the TFAS mission, the US Secretary of Defense approved the deployment of an additional tailored reinforced company with necessary command elements (approximately 200 personnel) to assume sector responsibilities for departing Nordic Units.

In January 1997, Task Force 2-37 Armor received a very short notice alert to deploy to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in support of the United Nations Preventive Deployment Force. Since assuming the mission in March of 1997, the soldiers of the Iron Duke Task Force conducted operations in response to the implosion in Albania and tense confrontations with Serb patrols in March 1997, including an increasing number of patrols in July, culminating in the the mission to their replacements in late August and September 1997.

TFAS is a battalion with a Headquarters and Headquarters Company, up to four line companies, scouts, mortars, engineers, aviators and appropriate support elements. Battalions are deployed to the FYROM for 179-day rotations. The battalion?s mission is to monitor and report activity on the FYROM/FRY border. To accomplish this, there are forward operations in the vicinity of the border. Each observation post is manned around the clock. Mounted, dismounted and/or community patrols are conducted daily from each OP. TFAS has also established company command posts which allow for forward command and control of operations. The main base camp itself, Camp Able Sentry, is located adjacent to the airport near Petrovec.

Perhaps the most publicly visible aspect of Able Sentry has been the legal and political controvery surrounding Specialist Michael New, who refused to don the insignia of the United Nations when he was ordered to deploy as part of the operation. The Army o court martialled the volunteer-soldier for disobeying an order, and the case is on appeal.