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Slovenia

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Capital: Ljubljana
Area: 20,273 sq km
Comparative area: slightly smaller than New Jersey
Population (July 2011 estimate): 2,000,092
Official language(s): Slovenian, and Italian and Hungarian only in municipalities where their national communities reside
State Partner: Colorado
International Organizations and Agreements: United Nations, NATO, Council of Europe, European Union, World Trade Organization, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Southeast European Defense Ministerial

Slovenia and the United States have a positive relationship and work together actively on a number of fronts. The government of Slovenia has diligently pursued its restructuring, reorganization, modernization, and procurement with the paramount goal of NATO interoperability.

More than geographically, Slovenia is a bridge from developed Europe into the Balkans, an area of the continent where significant diplomatic and security challenges remain. Slovenia's current international commitments show its willingness to become a co-provider of security in the region.

The U.S. European Command provides a liaison team that works with the Ministry of Defense full-time to develop greater familiarity with NATO structures and procedures.

The Slovene military force structure consists of one fully professional motorized infantry brigade and two cadre/reserve force mechanized brigades; a small air force, equipped with helicopters and turbo-prop fixed wing aircraft; and a naval attachment, including a coastal patrol boat. The United States provides bilateral military assistance to Slovenia, including through the International Military Education and Training (IMET) program, the Foreign Military Financing program, the State Partnership Program (aligned with Colorado), the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies, the EUCOM Joint Contact Team Program, and the Regional Counterterrorism Fellowship Program.

Slovenia contributed helicopters, medical personnel, military police, and an infantry company to the NATO Stabilization Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina (SFOR) and continues to be very active in the European Union Force (EUFOR). Slovenia had deployed troops and assistance to Bosnia and Herzegovina, the NATO Kosovo Force, International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission in Afghanistan, and various other NATO and EU missions.

Slovenia has taken an active role in humanitarian assistance, with donations to the victims of the Haiti earthquake, the Southeast Asian tsunami, the Pakistan earthquake, and Hurricane Katrina, as well as ongoing assistance to refugees in Darfur and support for the World Food Program.

Through its International Trust Fund for Demining and Mine Victims Assistance (ITF), Slovenia has created the demining instrument of choice for the international community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the rest of the Balkans, and now even further afield in Central Asia and Cyprus. The organization has raised more than $261 million since its inception in 1998 (with the United States contributing over $128 million).

Slovenia participates in the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) to halt the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), their delivery systems, and related materials worldwide. It is party to the Wassenaar arrangement controlling exports of weapons and sensitive technology to countries of concern and has ratified all 13 international anti-terrorism conventions.

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  • September 6, 2012

    USS McFaul Departs Koper, Slovenia

    The guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul (DDG 74) departed Koper, Slovenia, following a port visit, Sept. 6.
  • July 27, 2012

    Heavy Airlift Wing Champions Partnerships; marks 3rd Anniversary

    The vision three years ago was to bring twelve nations together with a common goal and commitment to bring Strategic Airlift Capability to allies across the globe.
  • June 1, 2012

    Multi-national soldiers train together at Immediate Response 2012

    Heavily forested terrain, steep hills and hot weather haven’t slowed down Soldiers with U.S. Army Europe’s 2nd Cavalry Regiment and their multinational partners during the Situational Training Exercise phase of Immediate Response 2012 here for the past few days.
  • May 26, 2012

    Immediate Response 12 highlights multinational cooperation

    Immediate Response 12 (IR12), the multinational military exercise between U.S. Army Europe, U.S. Air Force, the Croatian Land Forces and partner militaries from six other Balkan nations, started today with an opening ceremony in Slunj, Croatia.
  • November 1, 2011

    Dignitaries observe coalition training, efficiencies

    Dr. Janine Davidson, the deputy assistant secretary of Defense for Plans, observed Europe's Full-Spectrum Training Environment rotation, Oct. 20-22, during the final stages of training. "It's an opportunity to really think about these facilities and the way we use them," Davidson said. "I really believe that if you are going to train the way you fight, you need to train with your allies. And so, it's important to be here."
  • November 12, 2010

    Hungarian KFOR soldiers take over at Camp Nothing Hill

    Polish and U.S. soldiers from Multinational Battle Group East relinquished their security duties at Camp Nothing Hill to Hungarian and Slovenian soldiers from MNBG West during a ceremony here, Nov. 10.
  • October 29, 2010

    EULEX, KFOR meet at Camp Bondsteel

    Soldiers from Multinational Battle Group East joined soldiers from Kosovo Forces Headquarters and members of the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo for a seminar at Audie Murphy Medal of Honor Hall here, Oct. 22.
  • September 16, 2010

    USACE, commission promote international cooperation through flood mapping workshop

    Officials from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and International Sava River Basin Commission hosted a three-day workshop here Sept. 6, aimed at presenting attendees information collected for the Sava River Hydraulic Model project and garnering feedback from participating countries.
  • September 8, 2010

    Largest communication exercise ever hosted at Grafenwoehr Training Area is a success

    About 1400 participants of more than 40 countries and organizations gathered at the Joint Multinational Simulations Center (JMSC) at Grafenwoehr Training Area for the U.S. European Command’s (EUCOM’s) exercise, Combined Endeavor 2010, the world’s largest military communications and information systems exercise, Sept. 2-16.
  • August 18, 2010

    Multinational riot control training, U.S. Soldiers play rioters

    This was the scene for crowd and riot control teams from Germany, Italy, Portugal and Slovenia as they faced platoons from A Company, 1st Battalion, 296th Infantry Regiment, Multinational Battle Group East (MNBG E), during a two-day joint training exercise in locations across MNBG West's area of operation, Aug. 11 and 12.

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  • September 24, 2010

    EUCOM, USACE help with Sava River flood mapping

    If you live near a river in Eastern Europe, you probably spent a horrific summer evacuating or preparing to evacuate due to floods. So, what better way to reach out to our partners than developing a plan to prevent and prepare for flooding, while promoting international cooperation?
  • September 10, 2009

    Excellence in Action: Combined Endeavor’s Regional Site in Denmark

    This past weekend I had the pleasure of meeting the national delegations at Combined Endeavor 2009’s regional site at Bülows Kaserne, Fredericia, Denmark. Delegations at this site are from Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Slovenia and Sweden with additional support personnel from the United States, Austria and Germany.

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  • July 18, 2012

    Slovenian Officers

    Exercise Adriatic Strike in Slovenia - this training gives U.S. Joint Terminal Attack Controllers the chance to work directly with the militaries of other partner nations. SSgt Nathan Parry followed a Slovenian Lieutenant as he learned from the experience.
  • June 8, 2012

    Immediate Response 2012: A look at week one

    Footage taken during the first week of Immediate Response 2012 (IR12) training event held in Slunj, Croatia from May 26 thru June 10, 2012. IR12 is a multinational tactical field training exercise that will involve more than 700 personnel primarily from the U.S. Army Europe's 2nd Cavalry Regiment and Croatian armed forces, with contingents from Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro and Slovenia. Macedonia and Serbia will send observers to the exercise.
  • June 8, 2012

    Immediate Response 2012: So Pharr, So Good

    Pvt. Jacob Pharr with the with the 1st Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment distinguishes himself during training at Immediate Response 2012. Immediate Response 12 is a multinational tactical field exercise that involves more than 700 personnel from the U.S. Army Europe's 2nd Cavalry Regiment and Croatian land forces, with elements from Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Slovenia. Macedonia and Serbia have brought observers.
  • June 8, 2012

    Immediate Response 2012: Slovenian Troops In A Fire Fight

    Pvt. Tonya Breznik of the Slovenian Armed Forces talks about the training going on during Immediate Response 2012 and how it relates to here experience serving in Afghanistan in support of the International Security Assistance Force there. Immediate Response 12 is a multinational tactical field exercise that involves more than 700 personnel from the U.S. Army Europe's 2nd Cavalry Regiment and Croatian land forces, with elements from Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Slovenia. Macedonia and Serbia have brought observers.
  • December 2, 2011

    Learning to respond to an aircraft emergency

    When U.S. F-16s are in the air over Italy, they often fly far from any ground support should they need to land. A1C Roman Weber tells us how Aviano fire safety officials are making sure pilots and aircraft are safe if they have to make an emergency landing away from home.