By Sgt Bill Paton

Greetings from Bosnia. Myself, Cpl Rob Vulakovich, Rfn Rob Morton are all stationed (in the same 3 PL, Para Coy) at Camp Maple Leaf/Zgon in Bosnia. Cpl Walt Lawlor is stationed at Camp Orvar, where a small contingent is located.

We are all having a good time and the weather is a lot cooler than the 45 degrees plus temperatures that we experienced when we first got here.

Being part of para company is great. Makes you feel like the airborne is still within us all. My section commander, Sgt Rob Young is a pathfinder and freefall parachute instructor and mountain ops instructor so he is obviously quite qualified.

In our section of nine we have three reservists, and that is average within the company. Usually 2-3 reservists per section.

I am learning alot and meeting some great people. Out platoon’s area of responsibility is half in the Republic of Serbia and half in the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina. The Federation is Muslim (Bosnian) and Serbia is Serb, obviously.

We go on vehicle of foot patrols about three times a week and usually this means two hours work before and after for commanders. We have interpreters on each patrol so we try to talk to the locals as much as possible. I am very proud to be an Airborne Rifleman over here. I wear my black whistle cord and QOR cap badge which makes me fee great. I wear my QOR and Airborne Rifleman shirts on PT.

All the best. Up your rifles. Congrats to the new CO.

(Ed: Sgt Paton served as a MCpl with the NATO Stabilization Force in Bosnia.)

From The Rifleman 1998