Photo By Staff Sgt. Alyssa Lisenbe | Louisiana Army National Guard soldiers serving under Kosovo Forces Regional...... read more read more
CAMP BONDSTEEL, Kosovo – The day before he was set to go home to see his family, a Scots Guard soldier with Kosovo Forces Regional Command-East (KFOR RC-E) lay in his top bunk. When a small bee landed on his leg and stung him before he could swat it away, he thought little of it.
Moments later, his throat began to close, his breathing quickened, and panic set in. He fell from his bunk as nearby soldiers called for help. Within minutes, KFOR RC-East Task Force Medical received a call from U.K. medical personnel to prepare a trauma room for a soldier going into anaphylaxis.
“As the call came in, the facility shifted instantly from routine operations to emergency response mode,” said U.S. Army Capt. Christopher Stevens, a Nurse Practitioner with KFOR RC-East Task Force Medical. “I don’t know if you’ve ever seen controlled chaos, but that’s what happened on that Friday.”
September 26, 2025, the U.K. soldier was transported to the Task Force Medical hospital to for treatment. Soldiers with Task Force Medical support the KFOR mission to provide freedom of movement and a safe and secure environment for all people in Kosovo, therefore train for emergency medical situations just like this.
“The soldiers were able to understand that we had been trained to do this, so they were able to move and not freeze and not get caught up in the chaos,” said Stevens. “They understood that everything they did had a purpose. It was a very proud moment.”
Task Force Medical routinely trains for large-scale emergencies such as mass-casualty events, gunshot wounds and amputations. But this time, the same preparation and teamwork were needed to save a life from something as small and just as dangerous as a bee sting.
Every soldier in the facility played a role, including preparing the trauma bay, assisting with patient care, distributing medication, monitoring vital signs, communicating with higher commands and coordinating a medical evacuation to Pristina Hospital.
“It was a textbook example of communication and coordination,” said U.S. Army Capt. Derek Cooper, a certified Aeromedical Physician Assistant for Task Force Aviation who was on scene rendering care. “Everyone knew their role, and they executed it with precision.”
Other aviation medical professionals, such as U.S. Army Sgt. Ryan Hunter responded to assist. Drawing on his civilian medical experience, Hunter recognized that the soldier’s condition had progressed from anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction, to refractory anaphylaxis. In this condition, symptoms worsen despite initial treatment.
“Hunter recognized that the situation had gone from just plain anaphylaxis to refractory anaphylaxis,” said Cooper. “That’s when the decision was made to continue epinephrine, or what the U.K. medics we learned calls adrenaline, and to start a drip to maintain that support.”
Once the soldier was stabilized, it took less than 10 minutes to airlift him to Pristina Hospital for further care. After being monitored for 24 hours at the hospital, he was cleared to start going home to his family.
“The fact that he gets to go home and talk to his mom, his girlfriend, his dad, his sister, his brothers and all those opportunities, just because we had some very well-trained team members here, it’s an honor to be a part of that,” said Stevens.
Stevens said an important motto in the military medical field is, “We train so hard and prepare for the worst day, but we always hope for the best.”
When a new group arrives at Camp Bondsteel, such as the U.K. contingent, U.S. medical providers work closely with their counterparts to understand each other’s capabilities and establish shared procedures for medical emergencies.
The quick coordination and teamwork between the U.K. and U.S. medical personnel highlight how KFOR’s multinational mission ensures a safe and secure environment for all communities in Kosovo. Soldiers from across KFOR train together to respond to medical emergencies both on and off base.
“That’s in essence why we went into medicine…to make a difference in someone’s life one way or another,” said Stevens. “And obviously, with this guy, it’s the rest of his life, and saving that loved one for that family. So it’s a big thing for us.”
| Date Taken: | 09.25.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 11.27.2025 08:09 |
| Story ID: | 551496 |
| Location: | CAMP BONDSTEEL, ZZ |
| Web Views: | 8 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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