President Ivo Josipovic of Croatia and SOCEUR commander visit Udbina Airbase during Jackal Stone 12 to view the joint special operations training demonstration.

President Ivo Josipovic of Croatia visited the Josip Jovic Air Base in Udbina, Croatia during the Jackal Stone 2012 Media Day to observe demonstrations from Special Operations units from 11 nations participating in this year’s training event.

Military personnel from 11 NATO-member nations took part in a tour of the Krka National Park located along the Krka River in Croatia on Sept. 15, 2012.

JS 11 comprised 1,350 participants from Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungry, Lithuania, Norway, Romania, Poland, Ukraine and the United States. The exercise is designed to improve partnership and interoperability amongst the partner nations.

Jackal Stone 2011, a multi-national special operations exercise continues in Romania, Bulgaria and Ukraine. While this is an opportunity for special operations forces to work together with partner nations, it’s also an opportunity to highlight the vital support making missions in theater a success. Sgt. Jenie Fisher meets a team of maintainers whose mission is the backbone of the exercise.

Jackal Stone, a multinational SOF exercise currently being held in four different locations within Bulgaria, Romania and Ukraine, requires extensive aviation support to meet the demands of the Special Operations Task Groups on the ground.

As Jackal Stone 2011, A multi-national special operations exercise, continues in Romania, Bulgaria and Ukraine the U.S. troops working in Romania get a visit from their leadership. Sgt Jenie Fisher catches up with the V-I-P who says the exercise helps partner nations solidify relationships and rise to meet new challenges.

Nine nations came together to participate in the Jackal Stone 11 multi-national special operations forces exercise

Whether it’s conducting static-line or high altitude/low opening airborne operations, training is essential for the SEALs to synchronize their movements on a variety of aircraft to take them to their mission destination.

I believe most people think that special operations forces never interact with the media.  That is, of course, until something bad happens, forcing someone to explain the      situation in an ambiguous manner.

USS Mount Whitney (LCC/JCC 20) completed its participation in exercise Jackal Stone (JS10) 2010, ending the 10-day joint military operation off the coast of Lithuania and Poland Sept. 26.

The Jackal Stone Special Operations Training Exercise is now officially finished with the successful completion of the closing ceremony Saturday afternoon, Sept. 26.  And as with all military operations (especially special operations in my experience), flexibility remained key.  You see, we set up for the ceremony on a concrete “parade field” area on Zemunik Air Base near Zadar, Croatia (beautiful area by the way).  Of course, we had already briefed the boss, we’d conducted a rehearsal, and we had set up all of the props – chairs, podium, speakers, etc.  Those scheduled to be given awards were seated and awaiting the beginning of the ceremony.   The plan was in place.

CROATIA -- The scenario: a terrorist organization abducts two international diplomats as they're vacationing in Croatia. The terrorists then demand a 1 million Euro ransom to get the diplomats back unharmed. This may just be a training exercise, but as SSG James Allen shows us, soldiers have to be ready for any and every type of situation.

Two weeks ago, I jumped on a flight headed for Croatia to participate in special operations forces (SOF) Exercise Jackal Stone 2009. Although the name sounds strange (you’ve got to love how the military often throws two completely unrelated words together to name training exercises), the purpose of the exercise is quite ambitious: to promote cooperation and interoperability between the 11 participating nations.  Significant is the fact that the Croatian government is hosting its first major military exercise since accession as a NATO member nation earlier this year, and that they chose to host a special operations exercise.  To me, it shows the importance that the Croatians place on special operations and the value they place on increasing international military partnerships.    

ZEMUNIK AIR BASE, Croatia - International service members assigned to the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force command and control cell underwent intense academic training Sept. 12-16 to improve their efficiency and interoperability before the start of the Jackal Stone 2009 exercise.