CAMP BONDSTEEL, Kosovo – Task Force Military Police spent their KFOR rotation enforcing laws on Camp Bondsteel, participating in training exercises and taking advantage of opportunities for personal growth from July 2019 to March 2020.
TF MP has worked to further the KFOR mission of contributing to a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement for the people of Kosovo. The military police task force oversaw a wide array of operations that significantly increased mission effectiveness on their deployment in KFOR Regional Command-East.
Task Force MP was comprised of a provost marshal from the 44th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, New Jersey Army National Guard; an MP detachment from the 293rd MP Company, Fort Stewart, Ga.; and a military working dog team from 100th Military Working Dog Police Detachment, Kaiserslautern, Germany.
“We got a great opportunity to work with our multinational partners on military police operations,” said U.S. Army Maj. Matthew Zilinski, RC-E provost marshal. “The importance of multinational cooperation is that you see how many different countries and contributing nations work together for a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement for all who live in Kosovo.
Zilinski said the relationship between TF MP and the International Military Police was a key point in the deployment.
“The first goal that we had was to meet the mission as a task force, and the mission is law enforcement,” U.S. Army Lt. Sarah Baermann, officer in charge of TF MP said. “We have, in my opinion, met and exceeded what we needed to and improved the standards and processes here at the provost marshal’s office.”
Another goal of TF MP was to promote Soldier and professional development through military schools and college classes, Baermann said.
“All of us here are MPs by trade, and we’ve learned a lot of additional roles while we’ve been here,” she said. “We’ve learned some new tasks and functions, and I think everyone’s really put their best foot forward and accomplished what they needed to.”
U.S. Army Sgt. James Bass, a military Working Dog Handler with TF MP, is one Soldier who was able to work toward his educational goals during the deployment.
“I’ve taken 30 credit hours and held a 4.0 GPA with Purdue University,” he said. “My major is criminal justice and homeland security, and I graduate May 5.”
Bass said some accomplishments of the rotation were helping to pass their annual veterinary inspection and working with other nations to provide support throughout Kosovo.
“My highlights of the rotation have been doing security details and providing overall protection with units from other countries, he said.”
Baermann said that one of her highlights was TF MP helping to reopen Range 7, the marksmanship training range on Camp Bondsteel. Baermann’s team certified the range by conducting its inaugural training.
“We were the first ones to shoot on it and identify any things that needed to be corrected,” she said. “It was probably one of the best ranges I’ve ever shot on.”
She also said the support they received from the 44th IBCT command team was essential to TF MP’s overall success.
“The brigade command staff has been very empowering of our ability to make decisions for our task force and Soldiers, and supporting the personnel actions and supply necessities that were needed to help the task force function,” she said.
On the cusp of KFOR 26, Soldiers from TF MP said they have positive feelings about the work they have done on this deployment. Baermann offered recommendations for Soldiers of the incoming rotation.
“My advice to KFOR 27 is to look critically at processes and actually adapt them to the current situation,” she said. “[Don’t] just [rely on] how things were run in the past. I have learned a lot of things while I’ve been here, so I definitely appreciate the opportunity to come out here and work with everybody – my NCO team, the brigade and everyone who’s been a part of KFOR 26.”
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