Press Releases

U.S., Albania, and Macedonia Commence Military Training Exercise in Adriatic (July 11, 2005)

U.S., Albanian, and Macedonian forces will participate in the Adriatic Engagement 2005 military exercise during July 11-30 in the Adriatic Sea. As part of the on-going multi-lateral military-to-military relationship, this most recent in a series of annual exercises will develop individual and collective combat proficiencies and promote friendship, mutual understanding, and cooperation with NATO and regional allies.

Nearly 1,500 U.S. Navy and Marine Corps personnel, three Albanian infantry platoons and helicopter support, and a Macedonian combat engineer platoon and special forces, will participate in field exercises, search-and-rescue scenarios, casualty evacuation rehearsals, and maritime interception operations.

The participating U.S. forces include amphibious assault ship USS Saipan (LHA 2), rescue and salvage ship USS Grasp (ARS 51), Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit EIGHT (EODMU 8), Helicopter Support Squadron FOUR (HC 4), Marine Corps Security Force Company Europe, and Commander, Task Force SIX SEVEN (CTF 67).

Joint exercises, such as the Adriatic Engagement 2005, promote security cooperation efforts that foster regional stability, advance multinational interoperability, and deter potential adversaries – all invaluable contributions to the international fight against terrorism.