Editing Swiss Armed Forces (section)

===Peacekeeping overseas===
[[File:Cougar AS532 T 334 Swiss Air Force Rescue Exercise.jpg|thumb|Cougar AS532 T-334 during a Swiss Air Force rescue exercise]]

Operating from a [[neutral country]], Switzerland's Armed Forces do not take part in armed conflicts in other countries. However, over the years, the Swiss Armed Forces have been part of several peacekeeping missions around the world.

From 1996 to 2001, the Swiss Armed Forces were present in [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]] with headquarters in [[Sarajevo]]. Their mission, as part of the Swiss Peacekeeping Missions, was to provide logistic and medical support to the [[Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe]] (OSCE), protection duties and humanitarian demining. The mission was named SHQSU, standing for Swiss Headquarters Support Unit to BiH. It was composed of 50 to 55 elite Swiss soldiers under contract for six to 12 months. None of the active soldiers were armed during the duration of the mission. The Swiss soldiers were recognised among the other armies present on the field by their distinctive yellow beret. The SHQSU is not the same as the more publicized [[Swisscoy]], which is the Swiss Army Mission to Kosovo.

In its first military deployment since 1815, Switzerland deployed 31 soldiers to Afghanistan in 2003, and two Swiss officers had worked with German troops. Swiss forces were withdrawn in February 2008.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/switzerland-ends-military-mission-in-afghanistan/6457084 | title=Switzerland ends military mission in Afghanistan | date=23 February 2008 }}</ref>

Switzerland is part of the [[Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission]] (NNSC), which was created to monitor the armistice between [[North Korea|North]] and [[South Korea]]. Since the responsibilities of the NNSC have been much reduced over the past few years, only five people are still part of the Swiss delegation, which is located near the [[Korean DMZ]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vtg.admin.ch/internet/vtg/en/home/themen/einsaetze/peace/korea.html|title=Swiss participation to the mission NNSC in Korea|publisher=Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160604050802/http://www.vtg.admin.ch/internet/vtg/en/home/themen/einsaetze/peace/korea.html|archive-date=4 June 2016|url-status=dead|access-date=12 July 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/search/detail/Swiss_keep_watch_over_fragile_peace.html?siteSect=881&sid=1891533&cKey=1053346440000|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241203103811/https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/search/detail/Swiss_keep_watch_over_fragile_peace.html?siteSect=881&sid=1891533&cKey=1053346440000|url-status=dead|archive-date=3 December 2024|title=Swiss keep watch over fragile peace|date=19 May 2003|publisher=swissinfo|access-date=12 July 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://swissthomas.ch/nnsc-korea-1980-81/ |title=Photogallery: NNSC Korea|publisher=Photogallery Thomas Mäder|access-date=12 July 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090402233514/http://www.swiss-maeder.ch/photo4.htm |archive-date=2 April 2009|url-status=live}}</ref>