A NANTWICH Territorial Army Officer has taken on a unique command in Bosnia on a peacekeeping mission in the war-torn country.

Major Chris Edwards, who normally works at Reaseheath College has taken on the role of Officer Commanding 98 Balkans Signal Squadron based in Banja Luka.

Chris, 37, a food industry training manager, said the position had topped his Army career.

A former Regular with two years service in The Stafford Regiment and 18 years in the TA, it has meant a daunting challenge for Chris.

He explained: "The most important thing is to bring various elements together. Not only people from different nations with their different services but civilians. I wanted to make them an effective team.

"Not just to get them to work together, but to get them to enjoy multinational work at this level. For this to work you need the right people in the right job."

The Squadron is unique in having Regular and Reserve Signalers from Canada, Holland and New Zealand under its control.

The Squadron's main mission is to maintain secure phone and e-mail links for the NATO forces throughout Bosnia and Kosovo.

Chris added: "I suppose I'm the whipping boy for the people above. I am the squadron's umbrella - I get hit first. Getting this job was a privilege. It's been a life-changing thing for me.

"When I got here the system was not as efficient as I thought it was, so we have had some success and some failures in maintaining the systems. The important thing is how you manage those failures."

He explained to his visitors how some 70 per cent of crime in London was directly linked to gangsters in the Balkans and that suppressing banditry there was directly slashing crime in Britain.

A recent raid by the local security and NATO troops had exposed a villain who was keeping scores of women locked in cages. It is thought that they were to be forced into prostitution in the West.