Event 7-30 Oct. 2007 Exercise Cooperative Longbow/Lancer 2007

Tirana, Albania – Yesterday, Exercise Cooperative Longbow/Lancer 2007 checked of an important milestone with the completion of the first part of the exercise taking place in Tirana, Albania. 

Over the last week participating nations have been working tirelessly to improve multinational brigade land staff skills in order to achieve a higher level of coordination to be more effective while conducting peace support operations. 

“I was very impressed by the level of professionalism I saw today of all the soldiers taking part in the exercise,” said Lieutenant General Luan Hoxha, the Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces of Albania. “We must remain focused as there is much to be gained by combining our collective knowledge.  This exercise is a building block to achieving interoperability which is crucial if we are to work together in facing the many challenges of an uncertain future.”

As the exercise continues, it will further add to the experience of all the soldiers and increase the effectiveness of participating nations whether involved in an overseas mission, training or preparing to deploy in the future.

“From my perspective, the exercise has been a tremendous success to this point and I look forward to the arrival of new soldiers eager to begin the second phase,” said Major General Shpëtim Spahiu, Exercise Co-Director.  “We have made great progress and it’s time to put our training into practice by applying what we have learned.”

Soldiers taking part in the second phase have already begun arriving and will all be in Tirana by October 18, 2007.