On 14 May 1997, the Slovenian Armed Forces deployed their servicemembers to a crisis response operation for the first time. The first unit deployed to the humanitarian operation Alba in Albania was the Medical Unit of the Slovenian Armed Forces and four liaison officers. Since then, the units and individual members of the Slovenian Armed Forces have participated in NATO, EU and UN-led crisis response operations in Albania, Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iraq, Kosovo, Congo, Lebanon, Macedonia, Pakistan, Syria, Chad, Sudan and Cyprus.

The year 2007 marked a turning point in the participation of the Slovenian Armed Forces in crisis response operations. This year, for the first time in the history of their participation in crisis response operations, the Slovenian Armed Forces deployed an entire battalion-level unit to a crisis response operation. The Slovenian Armed Forces were for the first time in charge of their own area of responsibility and were in command of the members of foreign armed forces from a NATO country. Until then, members of the Slovenian Armed Forces deployed to crisis response operations operated as part of other armed forces.

Today, the main effort concerning the participation of the Slovenian Armed Forces in crisis response operations is focused on the operations in Afghanistan (International Security Assistance Force - ISAF International Security Assistance Force - ISAF) and Kosovo (Kosovo Force - KFOR), while Slovenian troops are also present in Bosnia in Herzegovina, Iraq, Lebanon, Chad in Syria.

In all operations so far, relations of the Slovenian troops with the local populations have been positive and Slovenian servicemembers have been highly respected. In all these years, the Slovenian Armed Forces have acquired comprehensive knowledge and experience for the performance of tasks in a variety of operations as well as achieved a high level of recognition as a very professional force. The latter is mainly reflected in the desire of foreign military forces to work in cooperation with Slovenian servicemembers.

In the future, the Slovenian Armed Forces will continue to actively participate in crisis response operations in cooperation with allied forces. Future activities of Slovenian Armed Forces members in crisis response operations will be carried out in accordance with the goal of attaining final operational capabilities of Slovenian Armed Forces units, fulfilling their obligations towards the Alliance as well as meeting the requirements which are common or synchronised with the Alliance.

A part of Slovenian Armed Forces troops is also engaged in the EU Battle Group (EU BG) and NATO Response Force (NRF) which operates within Alliance borders as well as outside.

International operations and missions - number of SAF participants	19.4.	6. 5.	8. 6.	1. 7.	12. 8.	5. 9.
Afghanistan - ISAF, NATO	67	67	73	73	70	70
Bosnia and Herzegovina - JOINT ENTERPRISE, NATO	2	2	2	2	2	2
Kosovo - KFOR, NATO	354	350	349	354	349	323
Macedonija - JOINT ENTERPRISE, NATO	2	5	6	6	6	6
Serbia - JOINT ENTERPRISE, NATO	2	3	3	3	3	3
Bosnia and Herzegovina - ALTHEA, EU	28	25	26	26	26	27
Somalia - ATALANTA, EU				2	2	2
Lebanon-UNIFIL, ZN	14	14	14	14	14	14
Syria - UNTSO, ZN	2	2	2	2	2	2
Total	471	468	475	482	474	449

International operations and missions with the participation of the Slovenian Armed Forces in the year 2009 (PDF)