2nd Infantry Battalion – ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC OF NORTH MACEDONIA

Mission and Tasks

Mission:

To conduct offensive and defensive operations in order to protect the integrity and sovereignty of the territory of the Republic;
To cooperate with MIA in the area of border guard;
To support civilian government when alleviating the aftermaths of natural and other disasters;
To support peacekeeping operations and humanitarian operations out of the Republic;
Combat readiness level has been reached and maintained making progress in many areas, primarily training and preparing for TELA;
Battalion units have completely reached the necessary combat readiness level.

Tasks:

Personnel physical readiness;
Firearms training of individuals and units;
Training according to BMP;
Specialized-professional training;
Personnel training for peacekeeping missions participation;
English language training.

Commander

Lieutenant Colonel Zoran Sumrachki

Lieutenant Colonel Zoran Sumrachki was born on July 23, 1978 in Delchevo, where he completed his primary and secondary education. He started his military career in 2001 after 4 years of education at the “Mihailo Apostolski” Military Academy in Skopje. As an infantry officer, his first duty was a platoon commander in the 1^st Motorized Brigade in Shtip. Meanwhile, he has completed several courses in the country and abroad in the area of peace operations, the most significant of which is the course on Peace Support Operations, in Vyskov, The Czech Republic and the United Nations Military Observer Course, in Ankara, the Republic of Türkiye.

His next appointment to a higher duty was in 2008 as a commander of a Mechanized Infantry Company within the 1st Motorized Infantry Brigade, a unit declared in the South-Eastern Europe Brigade (SEEBRIG) where the Army of the RNM still actively participates. During this period, as a company commander, he took part in several “Seven Stars” exercises conducted by the SEEBRIG Command.

His next post was an Evaluation Officer in J-7/JOC in 2013. As part of this duty, he completed an Evaluators Course in accordance with the Concept of Operational Capabilities, Evaluation and Feedback.

In 2014, he continued his military education at the Command and Staff Academy within the “Mihailo Apostolski” Military Academy in Skopje, where in 2015 he graduated the command and staff duties.

In 2017, he completed the Combat Readiness Evaluation Course for Land Forces (CREVAL) and has been a certified NATO evaluator since then.

From November 2020 to present, he was a Chief and Exercise Planning Officer in the Exercise and Evaluation Department at J-7 in the Operations Command. Within this duty, he participated in the planning and implementation of exercises and evaluations in the country and abroad. He was an officer with primary responsibility in the “Decisive Strike 19” and “Decisive Strike 21” exercises, as well as a director of the “Flash 22” exercise, when the evaluation of the Light Infantry Battalion was carried out.

In the period from June 2006 – January 2007, he participated in the ISAF peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan, as a platoon commander within the first Army Company sent on a peacekeeping mission. This unit was part of the United Kingdom contingent.

In the period from July 2011 – January 2012, he participated in the ISAF mission in Afghanistan again, this time as a company commander, as well as a contingent commander.

Lt. Col. Zoran Sumrachki has so far received several monetary incentives and commendations from the MOD and the Chief of General Staff for the achieved results in the process of combat training and education, as well as the contribution to the Army formation and development.

He holds a “Non-Article 5” NATO medal for participation in the ISAF peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan, 2007, Gold and Silver Army Badge, as well as Bronze Badge for Partnership, Cooperation and Coordination.

Sport, especially volleyball and mountain biking, are his passion. He speaks English fluently.

He is married and father of one child.

Previous Duties:

2001-2006 Commander of the 2nd Platoon / 1st Motorized Company
2006-2008 Commander of the 1st Platoon, 1st Mechanized Infantry Company/2nd Mechanized Infantry Battalion
2008-2012 Commander of the 1st Mechanized Infantry Company / 2nd Infantry Battalion
2012-2020 Evaluation Officer in J-7/Joint Operations Command
2020-2023 Chief of the Exercise Planning Department/Operations Command
2023 – Commander of the 2nd Mechanized Infantry Battalion / 1st Infantry Brigade

Promotions:

30.07.2001 – Second Lieutenant
06.08.2002 – Lieutenant
06.09.2006 – Captain
31.12.2012 – Major
31.12.2016 – Lieutenant Colonel

History

History of the 2^nd IBn

The unit exists from the formation of the ARM.

From April 15, 1992 to September 1, 2000, the unit was called the 1^st Infantry Battalion, part of the 11^th Infantry Brigade, until 1996 when it was named “Scorpions”.

2008, Intensive period of training and self-evaluation for SEL-1 and NATO evaluation for NEL-1.

2009, Self-evaluation for SEL-2.

The unit has been trained for LEVEL-2 according to the NATO Operational Capabilities Concept.

Training is conducted according to the Annual Plan, Schedule of activities for the current year.

At the exercise, Macedonian Flash 05 the battalion executed Level 2 self-evaluation LEVEL-2 as a Declared Medium Infantry Battalion.

From September 1^st, 2000, 1^st Infantry Battalion was transformed into 2^nd Infantry Battalion of the 1^st Infantry Brigade.

Since April 2, 2012 it has been transformed in accordance with the last formation structure of the Army.

From its formation until today the battalion participated in 24 international military exercises organized by NATO and the PfP countries contributing with personnel and combat technique and it competently represented ARM and the Republic Macedonia.

On the 15^th of August 2011, the 2^nd Mechanized Infantry Battalion was decorated with a Medal for Merit delivered by the President of the Republic of Macedonia PhD Gjorge Ivanov.

With the accession of the Republic of North Macedonia as a full member of NATO, the unit underwent transformation in 2020. The process and preparations began for the unit’s evaluation and its declaration as a Light Infantry Battalion within NATO’s forces pool. The implementation and maintenance of NATO standards, as a full member of the Alliance, were carried out through the declaration of the unit as a nationally significant capability.

In January 2021, the General Staff of the Army issued the Development and Maintenance Plan for the Light Infantry Battalion. This plan represented a unified, comprehensive document in which the following objectives were defined:

-To establish the organizational and structural framework of the Light Infantry Battalion – a unit designated as a Capability Target accepted by the Republic of North Macedonia as part of the Army’s capabilities – belonging to the Forces of Low Readiness for deployment in NATO-led operations.

The evaluation of the unit as mission capable and its declaration as a nationally significant capability, along with the implementation and maintenance of NATO standards in training and combat readiness, were priorities in 2022. The evaluation process was conducted across all areas of combat readiness in accordance with CREVAL criteria, and the unit was assessed as mission capable—a Force of Low Readiness for deployment in NATO-led operations.

With the accession of the Republic of North Macedonia as a full member of NATO and the transformation of the unit in 2020, it participated in many international military exercises: