JUNE 12, 2025 – Presidents, Heads of State and dignitaries from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and U.S. Congress visited Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, May 25, to commemorate the signing of the Dayton Peace Accords, which ended the more than three-year long Bosnian War in 1995.
“The Dayton Peace Accords were significant in ending the Bosnian war and establishing a collective commitment that became a framework for peace. They are but one example of what can be achieved through robust multi-national cooperation,” said Lt. Gen. Linda S. Hurry, Air Force Materiel Command deputy commander, during opening remarks at the event. “We are very proud of the role we played in making this happen. Our teams were pivotal in encouraging the talks to continue when faced with challenges.”
The commemorative event was held at the Hope Hotel’s Richard C. Holbrooke Conference Center, located just outside the gates of Wright-Patterson AFB, with the ceremony in the same room that the breakthrough agreement was signed signifying the war’s end.
In addition to Hurry, speakers at the event included Ray Ortensie, AFMC command historian, and Congressman Mike Turner, U.S. representative from Ohio’s 10th District and the U.S. chairman for the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. Turner was the Dayton mayor at the time of the 1995 peace events.
“We will leave here with a renewed obligation and understanding of how we fight authoritarianism, how we fight corruption, how we pull together, how we build democratic institutions and how we support democratic institutions,” he said.
Termed the Proximity Peace Talks, the 1995 Dayton Peace Accords involved nearly 2,000 Wright-Patterson AFB Airmen and civilians who, in less than two weeks’ time, constructed separate facilities, secured distinguished visitor accommodations and acquired equipment including telephones, fax machines and computers, and more to support the diplomats and heads of state who attended the peace events. Wright-Patterson AFB was chosen to host the negotiations for reasons that included the level of security, available runway and proximity between the Visitor’s Quarters and the Hope Hotel, where negotiations were set to occur.
The talks, which began on Nov. 1, 1995, concluded 21 days later with the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and featured nine delegations from the United States, the Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the Republic of Croatia, the European Union, the Republic of France, the Republic of Germany, Russia and the United Kingdom. They earned the name “proximity talks” because the negotiations were comprised of numerous, individual talks among delegates rather than one set of negotiations with everyone always present.
The official agreement was finalized and signed in Paris on Dec. 14, 1995.
“It was three decades ago that your nations came to this site in Dayton to take part in negotiations. They participated in talks that, despite challenges, ultimately resulted in a commitment to peace and prosperity through partnership,” Hurry said. “Our alliances and partnerships are vital for international security. They foster mutual respect and cooperation, contributing to a climate of security and stability.”
By Marisa Alia-Novobilski
Air Force Materiel Command Public Affairs