Photo By Sgt. Laura Bradley | U.S. Army aviation and German forces assigned to Kosovo Force Regional Command-East...... read more read more
CAMP BONDSTEEL, Kosovo -- In the skies of southeastern Kosovo, the sound of UH-60 Black Hawks fill the air as German mountain infantry soldiers lean out of helicopter doors, eyes fixed on the drop zone below.
One by one, they descended the ropes, marking the first-ever joint rappelling training between U.S. and German forces at Camp Bondsteel under the NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR) mission.
The training was conducted by KFOR Regional Command-East (RC-E), the U.S. Army Task Force Griffin, the 3rd Battalion, 238th Aviation Regiment General Support Aviation Battalion, and the German Mountain Infantry Battalion, who support the KFOR mission to provide a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement for all people in Kosovo.
For Oberstabsfeldwebel Marco P., first sergeant of the 4th Company, 232nd Mountain Infantry Battalion, the training felt familiar. With nearly 30 years of service and 25 in mountain warfare, he brought decades of experience to the mission.
“In the mountains, trust is everything,” Oberstabsfeldwebel Marco said. “It’s like climbing in a rope team, you have to know your partner and trust he’ll hold your life in his hands.”
Before the first rope was secured to the aircraft, Oberstabsfeldwebel Marco and his team inspected every connection alongside U.S. aviators.
“For many of my soldiers, this was their first time rappelling from a helicopter,” Oberstabsfeldwebel Marco said. “It’s loud, windy, and unstable and everything depends on clear signals and teamwork.”
On the U.S. side, U.S. Army Capt. Timothy Mapley, operations officer for Task Force Griffin, described the event as both challenging and rewarding.
“This was the first time our pilots conducted rappelling operations,” Mapley said. “When we learned the German soldiers specialized in rappelling, our team jumped at the opportunity to make it happen.”
Over five days, the combined teams trained 74 German soldiers, 14 pilots and 12 crew chiefs, starting with a train-the-trainer phase before moving to full platoon iterations. Every step, from safety checks to flight coordination, was rehearsed.
“Watching them step out of the helicopter for the first time put a huge smile on my face,” Mapley said. “Seeing both teams’ hard work come together was incredible.”
While rappelling isn’t a daily KFOR task, it builds capability for reaching areas inaccessible by vehicle or landing zone, enhancing mission flexibility across Kosovo.
“This kind of training sparks new ideas,” Mapley said. “Even in a peacekeeping mission, we can innovate and strengthen KFOR’s ability to respond.”
For Oberstabsfeldwebel Marco, the takeaway was simple. “Every time we train with the Americans, we build trust,” he said. “That’s what keeps NATO strong.”
“When our teams bring their best together, it builds trust, not just between soldiers, but between nations,” Mapley said. “That’s what KFOR is all about.”
| Date Taken: | 10.08.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 12.31.2025 16:44 |
| Story ID: | 555429 |
| Location: | ZZ |
| Web Views: | 55 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Building Bonds in the Sky: U.S. and German Soldiers Conduct Joint Rappelling Training, by SGT Laura Bradley, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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