Photo By Staff Sgt. Amberlee Medina | Slavka Galaks, a local Zubin Potok resident, hosts infantrymen from the Oregon...... read more read more
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Citizen Soldiers with Kosovo Force Regional-Command East eagerly jumped out of their vehicles and make their way past gardens of blooming flowers Sep. 15, 2020 to the home of Slavka Galaks, a local Zubin Potok municipality resident.
Suzana Foreman, RC-E Maneuver Battalion 1st platoon interpreter, led the squad of infantrymen to the door as she calls Galak's name in excitement. Much to Foreman's dismay she notices a piece of paper with Galak's profile photo and several Serbian words next to it.
"She's passed away," said Foreman.
For several months Oregon National Guard Soldiers with Delta Company, 2nd Infantry 162nd Infantry Battalion, have visited Galak and offered their assistance with physically demanding tasks. On this particular day, the Soldiers had planned to repair a water hose that provided fresh water from a well further up the mountain.
"Suzie introduced us to her [Galak] when we first rotated in and we have been visiting her as much as we can since," said Staff Sgt. Eric Finger, infantry squad leader.
Galak was an elderly woman living in an abandoned school house where her husband taught before his death during the war. With no close family nearby to assist her, the KFOR RC-E Maneuver Battalion took it upon themselves to check-in on her.
Previous rotations cleaned her chimney, built a chicken coop and did other small tasks for her, said Finger.
One of KFOR's main missions is to build community partnerships and is executed by building meaningful relationships with the people in Kosovo and ensuring that their needs are not forgotten.
The guys like coming to help out their platoon grandma however they can, said 2nd Lt. Gregory Amorelli, Delta Company 1st platoon leader.
1st platoon Soldiers said interpersonal relationships like the one they have with Galak provides further purpose and motivation toward the KFOR mission to assist the people and institutions in Kosovo.
The current KFOR RC-E rotation is composed mostly of National Guard Soldiers who often find themselves using their civilian trades and skills not only to accomplish the KFOR mission but to assist the local community and the people in Kosovo.
Sgt. Christopher Darling, infantryman and a plumber by trade, said that he had been looking forward to utilizing his skills to assist Galak.
Shocked and saddened by the turn of events, the Soldiers huddled together for a moment of silence in respect to their lost friend.
"We should still get this done," said Finger.
Unanimously the Soldiers got to work on fulfilling their promise to their platoon grandma to fix the water hose.
"She was important to us," said Finger. "She will be missed."
| Date Taken: | 09.15.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 09.22.2020 11:38 |
| Story ID: | 378333 |
| Location: | ZUBIN POTOK, ZZ |
| Web Views: | 316 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, KFOR RC-E Citizen-Soldiers commemorate ‘Platoon Grandma’, by SSG Amberlee Medina, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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