Operation Essential Harvest (or Task Force Harvest) was a deployment mission in the Republic of Macedonia by NATO, officially launched on August 22, 2001, and effectively started on August 27.[1] Because national contributions were larger than expected, the force ultimately grew to approximately 4,800 troops. Troops from 2nd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment, 9 Parachute Squadron RE and members of the SAS working in the A.O.R. The operation was headquartered in a fruit processing plant called Tri Kruši in Dracevo.[2]