RCMP Sgt. Bill Eubank reviews maps of the Bosnia-Herzegovina region. He has been assigned to a second European tour, this time to supervise the Bosnian police force. - NNSL photo

He is one of seven Canadian police officers selected to oversee operation of the Bosnian police force as the United Nations begins to pull out of the region. They will work under the European Union police mission.

Eubank, a 24-year RCMP veteran whose other Northern postings have included Fort McPherson, Arviat, Pelly Crossing, Watson Lake and Whitehorse, applied for the one-year overseas assignment. He said he's looking forward to it "big time" because it's something out of the ordinary.

"It's a diverse lifestyle. It's a whole new aspect to what our job could entail," he said, adding that he will be stationed in the town of Banja Luka, which, at 18,000 people, is roughly the size of Yellowknife.

It will be his second overseas tour as he spent a year in Serbian-controlled Croatia with the United Nations in 1993. He's expecting much greater political stability in the region this time around. He came under fire frequently during his stint in Croatia.

"It was an active war zone. We were shelled 13 times, evacuated 11 (times)," Eubank said in a matter-of-fact tone.

He was in Edmonton earlier this month for physical and psychological testing, prerequisites for such an assignment. He is scheduled to be in Ottawa for a week of training and briefings in December, and then he's due to begin his journey during the first week of January.

With the help of interpreters, he and his colleagues will be responsible for assessing the operational performance of local police forces in Bosnia. Eubank will make recommendations, but he won't be armed or doing any active policing.

"It's going to be a lot of fun," he said.