July 4th, Camp Holopina, Coralici

Hello all, from The 3 RCR Battle Group, Bosnia–Hercegovina!

All members are doing well with all their tasks here. I have seen all members of the RHLI since the begining of the rotation, some more than others due to location. Cpl Gallagher & Cpl Pate are located with me here in Coralici and the three of us frequently see each other. The camp has turned into a small "family" with both parts of November Company and Mortar Platoon sharing it.

All is quiet here, with the main task being the patrolling of the various "Areas of Responsibilities" (AORs). Coupling that with a training cycle, leave, R & R trips and various other projects it leaves us looking at a half-finished tour.

One of the more noteworthy projects is one that Cpl Julie Pate has undertaken. Two nights a week she, along with a few other members of the camp, go to a local school and teach English classes to local children. There are 8-16 children aged 11-17 years old.

While here, probably the most important of our tasks, is doing "presence patrols" in the local areas. They can be done on foot or by vehicle, with one of the more interesting being a "Market Patrol".

Shopping in Bosnia is mainly done in the market, with each small town "hosting" a weekly market. Most of the vendors travel from town to town, selling their wares. The market is also a meeting time and a bit of a social event for the local population. The town shuts down except for the market and local coffee shops.

Currency used is either the Deutche Mark (German Mark or DM) or the Konvertibilnih Maraka (Convertable Mark or KM). I have also seen the Croatian Kuna and Austrian Schillings used, although the use of these currencies is not official. The KM is the new local currency in Bosnia, and is tied directly to and equal to the German Mark.

At the various markets you can get everything from livestock to cement, and everything in between. Some of the more interesting things I've seen on sale are chunks of plaster, home made "Slibovitz" (A plum liquor that is quite strong!) and used music cassettes of folk music. You can buy food there, fresh vegetables, fruit and poultry.

Today (July 4th) my task was to lead a foot patrol through a market in one of the local small towns. The town is called Trzac Rastela and even though it is a small town of maybe 1,000 people the market day, Wednesday, is the main attraction of the week. This is "THE" day in Trzac Rastela, and people from the even smaller towns come to the market.

Click to view a small slideshow of the market and the activity from today's patrol.

For other information on Bosnia, other Operations or the RHLI in general you can contact the Public Affairs Officer.

See you all soon!

Pro Patria! Semper Paratus!