The NATO Stabilization Force's (SFOR) Strategic Reserve conducted exercise Dynamic Response 98, involving more than 1,800 U.S. military personnel, from 24 Mar 98 through 8 Apr 98. The purpose of this multinational exercise was for the SFOR Strategic Reserve forces to refine their ability to deploy to Bosnia and Herzegovina and perform a variety of missions in support of the SFOR commander. Dynamic Response 98 was a regularly scheduled training exercise, and not a response to instability in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The movement of troops into the region for the exercise included an amphibious landing by U.S. forces in Croatia, a Polish airborne battalion moving by rail through Croatia and a Romanian infantry battalion moving by road through the northeast sector of Croatia.
Nations participating in Dynamic Response included four NATO member nations -- the United States, Turkey, Italy, and the Netherlands -- and two non-NATO nations -- Poland and Romania. A total of 5,000 military personnel participated in the exercise.
Participating in Dynamic Response from the U.S. European Command was the U.S. Sixth Fleet Command Ship USS La Salle (AGF-3) from Gaeta, Italy. Other units participating from the U.S. included the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), based at Camp Lejeune, N.C.; the USS Laboon (DDG 58); USS Portland (LSD 37); USS Trenton (LPD 14); and USS Wasp (LHD 1).
