Photo By Ardian Nrecaj | Sgt. Ryan Skinner, a member of the Multinational Battle Group-East Southern Command...... read more read more
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FERIZAJ, Kosovo - Multinational Battle Group-East Soldiers assisted Kosovo Security Force Training and Doctrine Command instructors during a series of exercises this past October in Ferizaj, Kosovo.
The KSF organization is located near Camp Bondsteel, where U.S. Army Soldiers in the MNBG-E headquarters live and work while deployed on NATO’s peace support mission in Kosovo.
U.S. Army Maj. Frederick Keller, the deputy operations officer for MNBG-E and the North Carolina National Guard’s 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team, explained that there were two separate field training events: one event for the KSF officer's academy and the other for their basic noncommissioned officer course.
“The exercises were run by KSF TRADOC,” Keller said. “Our involvement initially began when we were introduced to TRADOC's leadership by our [Kosovo Force] predecessors, and that relationship has continued to grow over the past months.”
MNBG-E is part of NATO’s Kosovo Force mission in the region, responsible for ensuring Kosovo’s safe and secure environment and freedom of movement. KFOR soldiers support KSF staff and senior leader development, such as within TRADOC, through KFOR’s NATO Liaison and Advisory Team.
According to Keller the exercise went incredibly well, and he found KSF members to be “committed, professional and completely devoted to being the best they can be.”
“Our soldiers and the KSF worked seamlessly together on many classes and larger events,” Keller said. “The two-way flow of ideas and techniques was one of the best parts of the exercise, with our soldiers learning much from our KSF partners.”
KSF Lt. Alban Bujupi, an instructor with Centre for University Studies at TRADOC explained that the main goal of the exercise was to prepare the cadets to practice putting the theories they’ve learned into action.
“We hold classes for them at the academy, so to learn them better, we are practicing those things,” Bujupi said.
“The first-year cadets did individual movement, the other years focused on leadership and how to lead the troops during mission,” he added.
Bujupi explained that this was not the first time they have had assistance from the U.S. Army.
“We gained a lot from them through their assistance and advice,” Bujupi said.
U.S. Army Sgt. Ryan Skinner, a member of MNBG-E’s Southern Command Post, was one of Soldiers who assisted during exercise.
“The cadets were really motivated and they learned pretty quickly,” Skinner said. “Even the first-year cadets know their doctrine, and they did an excellent job.”
During the exercise, Skinner and his colleagues observed the cadets completing land navigation during night and day, individual movement techniques, low- and high-crawls, and area reconnaissance patrols.
Keller explained that this partnership with KSF affects the core of mission with KFOR: promoting a safe and secure environment.
“Sharing our experience in areas such as natural disaster response, especially as National Guard soldiers, makes a tremendous impact,” Keller said. “This direct involvement with the KSF also develops MNBG-E’s soldiers and leaders, through the experience of learning from our partners.”
KSF and MNBG-E are already planning further combined events for the remainder of the 30th ABCT’s tour in Kosovo.
“Throughout the next two months we will conduct various training events with TRADOC that should culminate in another larger event in January 2016,” Keller said.
| Date Taken: | 10.24.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 11.15.2015 07:16 |
| Story ID: | 181984 |
| Location: | FERIZAJ, ZZ |
| Web Views: | 306 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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