Another deployment down, another one to go

Photo By Sgt. Joshua Dodds | A cloud of smoke and fire erupts on a demolition range near Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo, recently, after crews from West Virginia's 753rd Ordnance Company (explosive ordnance disposal) ignited the blast. The 753rd is starting its third KFOR rotation as the primary explosive ordnance specialists in Multi-National Task Force-East.  

CAMP BONDSTEEL, KOSOVO

12.17.2009

Courtesy Story

116th Public Affairs Detachment

CAMP BONDSTEEL, Kosovo - West Virginia's National Guard has always been known by the Army, Air Force and the National Guard Bureau as a unit that they can count on when it comes to deploying Guard members to areas at home and around the world.

Whether they are being called to help out with natural disasters, national emergencies or wartime missions, West Virginia's Mountain men and women have always stood and still stand ready to answer the call of their beloved state and country.

The 753rd Ordnance Company, Explosive Ordnance Disposal, commanded by Capt. Gina Jenkins of Camp Dawson, W.Va., knows the sound of the call to duty all too well, and knows what it is to answer that call again and again.

Stood up on Oct. 1, 2004, the 753rd EOD's inaugural deployment was just two years later. In 2006 the West Virginia National Guard mobilized and deployed the unit in support of the mission in Kosovo. Called Kosovo Forces rotations, the unit has since then successfully completed two rotations in Kosovo, KFOR 8 and KFOR 11, and has just begun its third rotation here, KFOR 12. With the unit's multiple deployments to the region, many of its members have also pulled two or three rotations here.

As the unit closes out one mission to start another, members assigned to both the KFOR 11 and 12 rotations began preparing everything for the transfer of authority, the official start of the KFOR 12 rotation. With the next mission that the 753rd EOD has taken on, there is little difference from its last two. Many of the unit's members have volunteered to stay another year; only three of the nine members assigned to the KFOR 12 rotation are new.

Well-earned medals

With the end of the KFOR 11 rotation, soldiers pinned on a variety of well-earned medals for their service in Kosovo. One of the medals that the soldiers of the 753rd EOD earned was the Army Commendation Medal. It was awarded to all of them for their hard work and dedication to the mission.

Col. Lawrence Cooper, chief of staff for the KFOR 11 rotation, presented these medals to the soldiers of the 753rd EOD and told the soldiers that, "you put yourself in harm's way every day. These medals are the Army's way of saying 'thank you' for what you do."

When asked about how he felt about receiving the medal Staff Sgt. Robert Sweeny of Parkersburg, W.Va., said, "I'm proud of the work that we've done here, and I know everyone else in the unit is proud of what we've done here too. When it comes to getting the ARCOM, I'm honored that the Army felt that we deserved it. I think it shows that the Army does see what we do, and is proud of us for doing it."
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Multi-National Task Force - East is a U.S. led task force commanded by Brig. Gen. Al Dohrmann. This task force is comprised of nearly 2,200 soldiers, including Task Force Hellas and Task Force POL/UKR (Polish/Ukraine). The charter mission of MNTF-E is maintaining a safe and secure environment and providing freedom of movement for the people in Kosovo.

• Date Taken: 12.17.2009
• Date Posted: 12.17.2009 10:07
• Story ID: 42875
• Location: CAMP BONDSTEEL, ZZ