CAMP NOVO SELO, Kosovo – Troopers from the Republic of Latvia conduct response to contact whereas mounted coaching at Camp Novo Selo, Kosovo, April 13, 2022. In the course of the coaching, the Troopers from the Maneuver Battalion, Regional Command East, Kosovo Drive, discovered methods to retreat from hostile fireplace whereas mounted in addition to methods to retrieve and evacuate wounded.
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CAMP BONDSTEEL, Kosovo – Turkish Armed Forces Troopers with the Maneuver Battalion, Regional Command East, Kosovo Drive, stand in formation for a photograph on Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo, April 16, 2022. The Turkish contingent is working alongside NATO companions to help the mission of sustaining a protected and safe setting and freedom of motion in Kosovo.
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CAMP NOVO SELO, Kosovo – Troopers from the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland participated in medical evacuation, or MEDEVAC, coaching with U.S. Army Troopers of the Blue Ridge Dustoff, Job Drive Pegasus, at Camp Novo Selo, Kosovo, March 21, 2022. In the course of the coaching, members discovered methods to safely load sufferers onto helicopters whereas “spun up,” in addition to what specialised gear every MEDEVAC helicopter makes use of to deal with and transport sufferers to the next degree of care.
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CAMP NOVO SELO, Kosovo – U.S. Army Troopers with 1st Battalion, 149th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Fight Workforce, twenty ninth Infantry Division, Kentucky Nationwide Guard, carried out weapon familiarization coaching on the Latvian main weapon methods beneath the tutelage of Kosovo Drive’s Latvian Contingent at Camp Novo Selo, Kosovo, April 23, 2022. As a part of the Regional Command East, Kosovo Drive’s Maneuver Battalion, Troopers from a number of NATO nations work collectively to permit associate nations’ armed forces to develop interoperability and improve capabilities.
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The NATO mission in Kosovo includes bringing collectively army models from dozens of nations to work towards a standard objective. These international locations don’t function independently however reasonably as a single entity beneath a standard command construction.
One such command is the Maneuver Battalion of Kosovo Drive’s Regional Command East, comprised of parts from the U.S., Latvia, Turkey and Poland, all beneath the command of a U.S. battalion headquarters from the Kentucky Army Nationwide Guard.
“The multinational forces the (battalion) works with are top-notch and the perfect of the perfect,” mentioned Sgt. Maj. Anthony T. Hughes, the operations sergeant main for 1st Battalion, 149th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Fight Workforce, twenty ninth Infantry Division, and RC-East’s Maneuver Battalion. “Language boundaries are damaged by through the use of a standard data of Soldier expertise and expectations that our NATO companions are glorious in demonstrating.”
Sustaining and constructing upon their relationships with multinational companions is an ongoing effort for the leaders of the Mountain Warriors, not only for senior battalion leaders however for all of the Troopers within the battalion.
“The battalion conducts a number of cultural briefs the place every nation is invited to study concerning the subsequent by open dialogue and meals that symbolize the nation,” Hughes defined. “A number of coaching occasions and competitions are scheduled all through the week to construct esprit de corps amongst Troopers from every nation.”
The mission of the Maneuver Battalion, headed by the 1-149 Inf. Bn., the “Mountain Warriors,” is to “conduct peace help operations in RC-East with a view to keep a protected and safe setting and freedom of motion whereas supporting establishments in Kosovo, civil companies, and humanitarian efforts to keep up circumstances for continued civilian dialogue in direction of a political decision,” Hughes mentioned.
Main peace help operations in Kosovo is not like operations the infantry battalion has carried out previously, which usually targeted on counter-insurgency operational areas resembling Iraq. Now, their mission includes making certain a protected and safe setting is maintained in addition to safeguarding the liberty of motion for the folks of Kosovo.
“This mission requires a distinct ability set than what a standard infantry unit is accustomed to,” Hughes mentioned. “Coaching on crowd riot management, mounted and dismounted patrols, and key chief engagements was a should previous to mobilization to make sure a baseline of the operational necessities had been established and Troopers had been in a position to rapidly adapt to mission units upon arrival to Kosovo.”
Hughes mentioned his battalion’s preparation for his or her Kosovo mission required a shift from their conventional duties to a extra particular skillset wanted for the distinctive nature of their Jap European deployment, which began with the unit’s annual coaching at Camp Atterbury, Indiana, final summer time.
“The battalion additionally, carried out two separate pre-mobilization annual coaching occasions, one in October and one in December,” Hughes added. “Every interval allowed the battalion to give attention to obligatory duties together with the (Kosovo particular) targeted coaching.”
Now properly into their Kosovo rotation, the “Mountain Warrior” battalion headquarters has coordinated and led a number of named operations in preparation for occasions that might have degraded security, safety, and freedom of motion.
“These repetitions have allowed the battalion and every of its (corporations) to (solidify) idea of operations and refine technique with out being overburdened,” Hughes mentioned.
Moreover, “a number of cases of criminality on the (administrative boundary line) have been pursued and resulted in arrests to ascertain a sample of dedication to (a protected and safe setting) and (freedom of motion).”
Hughes credit his battalion’s success to this point to his Troopers’ ongoing exhausting work, dedication and adaptableness whereas working in such a singular setting.
“Mountain Warriors are expert practitioners of their craft and have been strengthened by the addition of Latvian, Polish, and Turkish Troopers,” he mentioned. “These Troopers exhibit a dedication to one another each day. This degree of dedication has solely been met by the eye to element and a way of urgency to the folks of Kosovo.”
