National Support Element

National Support Elements (NSE) were part of the IFOR, and later the SFOR, NATO led forces, which were deployed primarily in former Yugoslavia from 1996 to 2004 (when replaced by EUFOR).

Many of the NSE's were deployed in Hungary - even though this country was neither part of the conflict, nor a NATO member at the time - because of the local stability, good infrastructure, access to local supply ordering and relatively short distance to the battalions in Bosnia.

A similar U.S. unit was situated in Kaposvár some 40 km from Pécs, as well as a German in Split in southern Croatia, at the coast.

Each NSE had the responsibility of relaying supplies, spare parts, money, ammunition, mail, and food to the respective national IFOR units deployed in Croatia and Bosnia, as well as personnel and visitor transportation between Budapest and Croatia/Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The Nordic Support Group consisted of units from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Poland.