Wind of Peace 08 joint military exercise

TIRANA, Nov 17 – A joint military training of the Albanian fast reaction brigade and the Italian army ended last week.
The exercise codenamed Wind of Peace 08 were conducted during the whole last week at the Zall Herr military base near capital Tirana and it aimed at the evaluation of the second battalion of the Fast Reaction Brigade from a NATO team.
Some 752 Albanian troops took part at the exercise acting in situations similar to real ones in peacekeeping operations like monitoring terrorist groups, intervention at the tense zones, escorting personalities and supporting civil population in crisis situations and the like.
This brigade has been involved in many peacekeeping missions in Iraq, Afghanistan and Bosnia Herzegovina. Now they have three contingents in Afghanistan.
Earlier this year Albania got the NATO membership invitation and then in July it signed the membership protocol.
The tiny Balkan country hopes very much it will become a full NATO member next spring.