An Austrian will take the helm of EUFOR Althea

(B2) It is the Austrian general, Bernhard Bair, who should take command on December 4 next of the European military operation (Eufor Althea) in Bosnia-Herzegovina, replacing the Italian general Stefano Castagnotto, in post since last December . (The appointment will be endorsed at the Political and Security Committee on November 11).

Aged 53, Major General Bernhard Bair has been in charge of the Austrian Army Support Operations Command since 2002. In this capacity, he is in charge of logistics, maintenance, transport and the military health system. . Originally from the Tyrol, he comes from Zams, after having followed the training of General Staff officer of the Theresian military academy Wiener Neustadt from 1985 to 1988, he attended staff training at the National Military Academy in Vienna. He held various command positions, including as Chief of Staff of the 4th Panzergrenadierbrigade or as deputy military commander of Tyrol. But it is above all his function as a former defense attaché in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina that will be useful for this new position.

Note: Command of the operation is provided by NATO's deputy commander of Shape, operation Althea being placed under NATO command, within the framework of the "Berlin Plus" agreements (this is the only EU operations to be placed in this framework).