Krivolak

Soldiers from Macedonia, the USA, the UK, Kosovo, Montenegro, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Poland, Turkey, and Bulgaria took part in a multinational training event at Krivolak in 2015 designed to build trust between NATO partners, and assess the military capabilities of states looking to join NATO.

Krivolak (Template:Lang-mk) is an area in east-central Macedonia, where the largest military base of the Army of the Republic of Macedonia, and the largest military training polygon in the Balkans is located. The area is primarily used for the training of the Macedonian Armed Forces and its Allies. The base has also been used for NATO exercises, and during former Yugoslavia, the facility was used for testing of chemical weapons. It occupies a very large area of mostly barren landscape including hills, valleys, and a desert that test the skills and endurance of soldiers that train there. The military drills that take place there often are a combination of heavy artillery firing, with aerial bombardment and infantry attack. Many objects are used to simulate real warfare including temporary buildings and structures, vehicles, and others. The military training polygon within the base is sometimes used for training of United Nations Military Observers (UNMOs). Krivolak is also the location of an annual training exercise sponsored by the Consortium for Humanitarian Service and Education (CHSE). The Consortium is a collaborative effort of academic, government, and non-governmental organizations in the United States and Macedonia. The training includes university students from Macedonia and the United States who are involved in organizing and conducting a humanitarian response to a simulated major earthquake.