Warriors in Peace Operations - Strategic Studies Institute - U.S. Army

tunnels were encountered which were barely large enough
for the APC to pass. The route was from Kiseljak through
Visoko, Vares, Ribenica, and Zivinice. The roads steadily
improved as we approached Tuzla. Along the way we passed
relatively frequent “checkpoints” established by local
factions demanding a toll for passage. Many cargo trucks
were lined up at the checkpoints while their drivers
attempted to negotiate passage. The U.N. soldiers
explained that the truck drivers usually had to release some
of their cargo to gain passage. However, the U.N. security
force’s negotiations were direct and effective. We lost little
time at the checkpoints.
We arrived at Tuzla Airbase at about noon on November
29. After a short meeting to coordinate our reconnaissance
plans, the UNPROFOR provided vehicles and security for
my reconnaissance of the area surrounding the airfield. In
particular, I conducted a reconnaissance of the two airfields
in close vicinity to the airbase, known as Tuzla West and
Tuzla East. These were short, single airstrips connected to
the airbase by roads that also served as connecting
taxiways. Both airstrips were being considered as possible
camp locations. Tuzla East was a potential location for TF
3-325’s artillery battery and counter-battery radars.
During the morning of November 30, I conducted a
reconnaissance of the open area south of the airfield
perimeter. I was interested in the trafficability of the
terrain and whether the artillery battery could be sited in a
field just outside the perimeter fence. The area was
extremely muddy and was not cleared of mines except for
the dirt road that ran south of the southern perimeter fence.
In fact, we mired one of the Swedish APCs in the mud on this
trail.
I spent the remainder of this day walking the entire
airbase, including most of the perimeter. The airbase had
been heavily mined over the years, but there were no mine
records. Therefore, my reconnaissance was limited to the
paths that the UNPROFOR patrols used along the perim-
42