CAMP NOVO SELO, Kosovo — Multinational Battle Group East Forward Command Post held a transfer of authority ceremony here, celebrating completion of the outgoing unit’s tour and the beginning of the next unit’s rotation.
U.S. Army Lt. Col. Samuel Scott, commander of the Alaska Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 297th Infantry Regiment, assumed responsibility from Lt. Col. Kevin Kilbride, commander of the 1st Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division. “Lt. Col. Kilbride and his team have done a great job in the area of operations to set conditions for us to be successful,” said Scott. “We’ll work hard to maintain that progress, and I look forward to working with our brigade headquarters and international partners to continue what they’ve done here.”
During the ceremony, 1-89 CAV cased their colors, symbolizing the completion of their deployment. The unit’s colors will remain cased until their return to Fort Drum, N.Y., to begin training for future missions. The 1-297 IN then uncased their colors, symbolizing the official start of their mission.
The 1-297 IN is now the rotational Forward Command Post for MNBG-E. The FCP is responsible for patrolling and enforcing security measures along Kosovo’s Administrative Boundary Line.
“The FCP will continue to be a partner and a team player,” said Scott. “I plan on visiting all of our international partners over the course of the next week, and look forward to getting to know them over the coming months.”
Multinational Battle Group East is a NATO command. Its primary mission is to conduct peace support operations in Kosovo to maintain a safe and secure environment and freedom of Movement in Kosovo.