The breakdown of Yugoslavia in the early 1990's had many causes, and many results. With largely homogenous ethnic populations Slovenia and Croatia broke away from the central Yugoslavian state based in Serbia with little conflict. Bosnia and Hercegovina, on the other hand, was a state with a complicated mix of the various Balkan ethnicities; Catholic Croatians, Muslim Bosniaks and Orthodox Serbs lived in varous enclaves across the region. Serb communities expressed their loyalties to Belgrade, Croats to the newly independent Croatia bordering to the north and southwest. Viscious fighting between these communities, with shifting allegiances and agendas characterized this round of conflict in the Balkans. UN forces sent to Bosnia proved unable to stop the fighting and the ethnic cleasing. Sarajevo was under siege by Serbian military forces for four years.
Memories of this conflict are still fresh, and you can still see open wounds in the cities and the land. Bullet holes mar many buildings and active mine fields are still marked in many fields across the countryside.
Yet, this is not the same war-torn country that Steve left in the spring of 1999. We traveled north from Bijela to Brcko, the site of 1-8 Cav's Battalion Headquarters, Camp McGovern, and found- not a bustling military base of tents and humvees and muddy roads- but a quiet field overgrown with weeds, a chain link fence vainly standing guard over a forgotten patch of land and some collapsing shacks.In late 1998 and early 1999, 1-8 Cav was extremely concerned about the status of Brcko; heated negotiations in Vienna were to determine whether the city, strategically situated on the Sava River between Croatia and Bosnia, would become a 'Serbian' or 'Bosnian' city (belonging to the Croatian/Bosniak coalition). Steve's platoon was prepared to respond to public demonstations in either case, as extremists from all sides were able to whip up popular disturbances to advance their agendas with little pretext. In the end, Brcko was designated an 'open' city, with no side gaining exclusivity; an agreement only possible through pressure from outside powers and guaranteed by US and NATO troop presence.
Between Bijela and Brcko lies the Arizona Market, so named because of the creativity of US military planners who designate major roads in foreign countries with easily recognizable American names. Steve's platoon used to make a daily stop at the large bazaar along Route Arizona,
consisting of a number of shacks and open-air stalls. We pulled up to the site of a modern mall complex, complete with a rotating neon "ARIZONA MARKET" sign. Thousands of vendors now sold their wares; Steve bought the requisite 'Bosnian tracksuit' - a uniform of sorts for the locals and some sweet Ray-Bans. Discount prices, indeed. 