EDINBURGH, Ind. – Spc. Michelle J. Weissinger squints her eyes as her face is pelted with wind and cold rain. The weather is typical of Indiana in late fall and early winter, but more than that; it is typical of where she is training to deploy to Kosovo. Right down to the hilly and wooded terrain, this piece of midwest America is reminiscent of eastern Europe.
She is just one soldier at Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center training to deploy with Multinational Battle Group East Kosovo Force 15 this month.
Kosovo Force 15 is comprised of National Guard and Reserve soldiers from Wisconsin, Mississippi, Georgia, Nebraska, Vermont, North Dakota, New Jersey, Wyoming, Massachusetts, and Puerto Rico. Like most of the soldiers of Kosovo Force 15, Weissinger is from the 157th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, Wisconsin National Guard. The 157th MEB is tasked on this deployment with not only acting as the headquarters for National Guard soldiers assigned to them, but forces from six other countries.
“It’s a three-pronged mission,” said Col. Jeffrey J. Liethen, Onalaska, Wis., native and KFOR 15 commander. “We monitor the pulse of the populace, so to speak, keeping track of the feelings and opinions of the people. We also act as third responders to demonstrations and riots, and maintain freedom of movement for other KFOR forces.”
According to Sgt. Angie J. Gross, a Bismarck, N.D., native and human resources specialist with the aviation element of KFOR 15, one of the biggest benefits of coming to train together at Camp Atterbury is that everyone has learned how to work as one team.
“When we all first got here, everyone had their own little cliques. We are all from different places and even different states altogether. Now, you see the entire KFOR coming together,” said Gross. “You see little things, like how many people sit together at chow time. We are really all coming together.”
Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center is the only mobilization site in the United States for American forces training for missions in Kosovo. Besides the installation’s historical expertise as a world-class training site, the weather and the terrain are all very similar to what soldiers will encounter in Kosovo.
“The support we have received here from the installation cadre has been excellent,” said Liethen. “I would encourage other units to train here.”
KFOR 15 will continue to train at Atterbury until they are ready to leave for Kosovo. Weissinger says, however, that she feels she is ready to go today.
“Our soldiers have been trained on crowd and riot control, reacting to improvised explosive devices and unexploded ordinance, and law and order.” said Liethen. “Our aviation task force has been practicing troop movements and sling loads, and the aviation and medical facilities here at Atterbury closely resemble what we will have in Kosovo.”
Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center has been a premiere training facility since World War II. Now, Multinational Battle Group East Kosovo Force 15 adds itself to the long list of units that have deployed from this installation as they serve on their stabilization mission in Kosovo.
| Date Taken: |
10.20.2011 |
| Date Posted: |
10.21.2011 14:38 |
| Story ID: |
78811 |
| Location: |
EDINBURGH, INDIANA, US |
| Web Views: |
629 |
| Downloads: |
0 |
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This work, KFOR 15 trains at Camp Atterbury, by SFC Matt Scotten, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
