CAMP BONDSTEEL, Kosovo — In March 2004, a wave of violent riots swept through Kosovo, triggered by two incidents perceived as ethnically-motivated acts. Demonstrations, although seemingly spontaneous at the outset, quickly focused on Kosovo Serbs throughout Kosovo. In the end 19 people were killed (11 Kosovo Albanians, eight Kosovo Serbs), more than 900 injured, and more than 800 buildings destroyed or damaged. By one estimate, more than 50,000 people participated in the riots, according to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.
Order and peace were restored; however, in retrospect, many groups such as International Crisis Group and organizations including Human Rights Watch, had "concerns over the near-collapse of the international security organizations in Kosovo when confronted by the violence and unrest of March 2004, and the inability of the Kosovo Force, UNMIK (United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo) international police, and the local KPS (Kosovo Police Service) to provide effective protection to Kosovo's minority communities during the two days of violence."
KFOR needed a response and so out of the conceptual brain-storming sessions the Liaison Monitoring Team was created.
Simply put, KFOR LMT is the liaison that guides them in the right direction so they can resolve their own problems and monitor situations that would require KFOR involvement. Since its creation the LMT's have ingrained themselves within the municipalities to gauge the pulse of the people living there. Their importance has increased with each rotation.
"LMT's are an absolutely essential component of the 'eyes and ears' of the commander. They have developed relationships, and most importantly trust, with the key members of the communities in which they serve. The resident nature of their operations gives them both enhanced 'reception' and, more importantly, added capability," said Brig. Gen. Keith Jones, the current MNTF-E commanding general. "They can, at critical times and locations, serve as 'senders' of messages, not simply receivers. And, as important, they can provide near real-time feedback that the intended receivers have both received and understood the message. This capability is critical to crisis management. They are my municipal ambassadors and solidly enhance the capability and agility of a commander to see, hear, understand and respond."
With that support from the general, the commander of the LMT for the KFOR 11 rotation, Maj. Kenneth Koop, knew his unit's purpose was to "provide a bridge between KFOR and the institutions in Kosovo." However, to do that the 40th Infantry Division from the California Army National Guard, who was in charge of the mission, had to build the LMT from scratch, like all the rotations before them. This is because the U.S. Army does not have LMT units within its force structure nor does a military occupational specialty exist in which Soldiers can be qualified.
KFOR standard operating procedures guide LMT operations, but even they are vague on how the military skill set of a team should appear. That is why when just looking at an LMT on paper you would be hard-pressed to find a definitive reason why a combat arms Soldier is working side-by-side with a legal assistant and a motor transport operator. The answer is found in the Citizen-Soldier's themselves and what they bring to the table as an individual and as a member of a team.
Koop and his first sergeant, 1st Sgt. Paul Salinas III, were hand-picked by the task force leadership to lead the way in finding those unique National Guard Soldiers to fill the ranks of the LMT.
"We drew on our own deployment experience and training to set screening criteria. We selected LMT Soldiers based on personality, skills and experiences that would contribute to mission accomplishment, diversity, and build the strength of the unit," said Koop, who works full-time for the California National Guard as the deputy director of Environmental Programs. "Each key leader was chosen after submitting military and civilian biographies and demonstrating their ability to communicate effectively, operate in small teams, and prepare accurate reports."
Not everyone is cut out to be an LMT member, whose training is entwined with elements of U.S. Army information operations, civil affairs, and psychological operations.
"A lot of Soldiers didn't sign up just to talk to people about their day or help them fix their problems. Many of them want to do that hardcore stuff. This isn't the job for them," said Sgt. 1st Class Jack Frangiamore, the non-commissioned officer in charge for LMT 7 and a high school math teacher in Bellflower, Calif.
The KFOR 11 mission has nine LMT's, one for each municipality within the MNTF-E sector of responsibility. Seven are multinational, with Polish, Ukrainian and Hellenic counterparts working along side U.S. Soldiers in another concerted effort to emphasize the diversity and varied capabilities of an LMT's make-up. The area of population coverage assigned to each team differs in size from 10,000 to 164,000 inhabitants, and from a half-dozen villages to more than 30. The other four Multi-National Task Forces, North, South, West, and Central have a regional LMT overseeing their own sector's municipalities, according to the LMT commander.
Each team has between five and 18 members from all walks of life, stretching over 7,000 miles apart, educated in different languages and universities and trained in an array of technical knowhow. Added to that are local interpreters, hired by Northrop Grumman, who have worked with previous LMT rotations. This strange mixture is not considered a hindrance but simply answered by the hybrid company as they recite their motto, "One team, one goal," during morning formations before heading out on patrol.
The region of Kosovo is mainly mountainous and the LMT's have a fleet of SUV's to get them in and around their municipalities, which can consist of built up industrial areas to expansive lush valleys you would expect to see in the realm of Camelot. This is the LMT's proving ground and despite gaining valuable knowledge from the scenario training they went through at all the mobilization camps in California, Indiana and Germany, the Soldiers, who have been here for seven months, are still adding to their handbook of lessons learned.
In the valley municipality of Strpce, a Serb enclave in southern Kosovo, the recent power outages are at the epicenter of the problems there. "People think KFOR has control over a lot of things; that we can just flip a switch or the [CG] can push a button. We are constantly telling them that is doesn't work like that," explained LMT 7's officer in charge, 1st Lt. Chiddy Adighije. The lessons are piling up in the form of demonstrations, mood swings, political jockeying for positions on the hierarchy ladder, ethnic tension, rumors and adversaries of peace trying to shake the very foundation of a safe and secure environment, according to the Nigerian-born lieutenant.
"Nothing is typical here and we are constantly analyzing, puzzle solving, attempting to understand the turmoil and sometimes that means we need to be a part of the system," said Frangiamore, who credits patience as a key to success.
Beyond the valley to the northeast is the predominantly Kosovo Albanian municipality of Kacanik. Ethnic tensions are not a concern for LMT 6's OIC, Capt. Joel Pamatian, and NCOIC, Sgt. 1st Class Seth Renfro, the kids are. "One-hundred percent of this country's future is the kids. We monitor the school year because it is the best time to reach out and educate them. We tried to help everyone when we got here but sometimes we were teaching the wrong impression and fostering an environment that promoted beggars," said Renfro, a carpenter by trade.
Just from listening to LMT 6 talk they have become emotionally attached to their sector, which is dominated by the beautifully majestic mountain Ljuboten. According to Renfro, they are monitoring the effects of recent storms destroying crops, human trafficking, and political tensions laced in corruption that could stunt the growth of their municipality and appear extremely devoted to doing what they can to prevent it.
"It is frustrating sometimes because you can't solve all the problems all the time," said Staff Sgt. Kenneth Threat, a 92G cook, who is assigned to the 40th Special Troops Bn., out of Elk Grove, Calif.
To the north overlooking LMT 2's work like a granite guardian are the ruins of an ancient castle located in Novo Brdo, once a rich mining town. Sgt. 1st Class Ronald Reed says his residents get along for the most part but there is always a power struggle shifting the balance between Albanian and Serb, which could effect the political and employment issues facing the community.
Just over the hills near Camp Bondsteel, LMT 4 is focusing on upcoming local elections within the Vitina/Viti municipality and the strategic pole positioning that comes from trying to control the key offices. Other issues, according to the teams NCOIC, Staff Sgt. Nfor Barthson, such as low-level economic development, poor infrastructure, inefficient electrical power, and lack of potable water in most of the cities in their area, will take time to fix.
Some of the problems are ones you would find back home but some are rooted in ancient history and extremely complex, says Koop. Ten years have passed since the conflicts in 1999 and KFOR has had 17 rotations helping the region and its people get back on their feet. However, as many have seen in past rebuilding efforts, even ten years, no matter how productive, will not erase centuries of conflict. Military forces sent to stabilize the area can set the conditions for civilian institutions to take root and flourish, but they alone will not build a viable, functional political and economic system, said Koop, an information operations officer for the 79th Inf. Bde, Combat Team in San Diego, prior to this mission.
This is exactly the reason why each Soldier was hand-selected because when faced with adversity and a challenge, what drives these troops to want to head back into those communities each day is motivation, a sense of duty, and pride in seeing the small victories from their hard work.
"From my point of view, the best thing about the LMT is the opportunity to rub shoulders and shake hands with the people of Kosovo every time we go out of the camp and know we are helping make a difference in their lives," said Barthson, a 35M human intelligence collector, who was born in Cameroon.
"The recognition of knowing that these people appreciate the fact we have left our friends and families, homes and jobs to help them is gratifying for me," said Frangiamore.
From the top down, each LMT member has evolved since setting foot on Balkan soil. Their tradecraft and mission approach has become finely tuned due to having a "learning organization" mindset built upon delivering accurate, relevant and insightful information.
"We are a fluid and dynamic company that is constantly changing and growing intellectually, technically and interpersonally. We do more than just go out and feel the pulse of the municipalities. We have field offices in some of the municipalities government buildings so we can provide that direction and assistance to the citizens," said Salinas, who is a senior managing partner for RPS Associates in northern California.
"[My troops] quickly and enthusiastically learned the local culture and customs. Key leaders learned about the history of Kosovo and the entire Balkan region," said Koop. From turning the pages of a textbook to traveling the windy village roads, that history lesson comes alive as the rich tapestry of ethnic communities is laid out before them. From those travels, "we exchange ideas and lessons, and conduct formal after action reviews to identify and implement improvements to our operations. This is a job requirement. LMT Soldiers must put their observations into a meaningful cultural context," said Koop.
The KFOR 11 rotation has nine months to make an impact while assigned to their duty station at Camp Bondsteel, a base camp located in the south eastern part of Kosovo that houses service members from Armenia, Croatia, Greece, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Ukraine and the United States. That impact has a direct correlation to the happiness of the commanding general in how well they answered his information requirements. "True success has been those times when we were able to anticipate [the CG] and provide the answer before he could ask it," stated Koop.
In a way, the true vision of success for the LMT is to be non-existent. Gen. Carter Ham, the commanding general of U.S. Army Europe, asked during his visit of the LMT, "How do you talk yourselves out of a job?" This would imply that the ethnic tensions between Albanians and Serbians are put aside and everyone works together for a better Kosovo, that way KFOR is not needed.
There are a lot of team members who impact that envisioned utopia by setting a personal example. "On this and every rotation LMT Soldiers have gone beyond simple mission needs and built lasting relationships of trust," said Koop, referring to troops such as LMT 6's Sgt. Esmeralda Amaya, an administrative specialist from West Covina, Calif., who has coordinated with nongovernmental organizations to provide medication to a child with epilepsy in the farming village of Stagova because his family struggles to afford it.
Two U.S. Soldiers have become their teams own Rosetta Stone. Spc. Arkadiy Knopov, who was born in Ukraine, has been critical in LMT 7's municipality of Strpce, where the Ukrainian camp Breza is located. He has immersed himself in the Russian language and has even picked up enough Serbian to become a force-multiplier. Sgt. Eric Leszkiewicz, born in Glowno, Poland, helps bridge the language barrier between LMT 6's Polish troops. Both are helping their counterparts by teaching them English.
Another Soldier, Spc. Zsa Zsa Morairty, used her 68W healthcare specialist skills by lending a caring hand at an out-patient clinic in her LMT 8 sector.
Other noteworthy LMT's acts of kindness have been the adopt-a-school program, English as a second language program, donating supplies, handing out care packages, and sponsoring a family or child.
Ultimately each task force would like to leave a legacy in regards to the continuing development of the region and KFOR 11 LMT is no different. Each person and team has slightly contrasting marks they made but as their motto states, they all center on the same goal.
"In the short span of time here we have worked hard to understand the local situation and communicate that to the KFOR commanders who use it to provide safety and security. We have done everything we could think of that would allow KFOR 12 to build on our success," said Koop. "Our contributions can best be evaluated by the subtle increase in the safe and secure environment that enables the growth and success in Kosovo's political, economic, social and infrastructure sectors. The success of our contributions will be measured by subsequent LMT rotations."
Departing LMT rotations share with the incoming one what they learned and pass off projects and areas of interest, much like a baton, with the hopeful intention that there will be a seamless transition and a constant move forward in progress.
"Each new [LMT] brings its own unique style to accomplish their mission. The best part of this is change. The people of Kosovo see change and that change is both positive and negative as long as we learn from both. My advice for our counterparts is for them to remain open minded, objective and culturally aware. KFOR 12 will make their own significant impact to this country as we did. I would also recommend for them to not lose sight on what they cannot see or measure. We will not see the fruits of our labor any time soon. However, we will see our success in the future," said Salinas, a first sergeant with Detachment 3, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 40th Special Troops Bn. and a 21Z combat engineer, prior to this mission.
Kosovo, which claimed its independence from Serbia less than two years ago, is a fragile democracy in its infancy. The entire world is watching its progress. "So the international community is approaching the KFOR mission with deliberate, considered and coordinated action. That approach takes time but yields sustainable, long-lasting results," concluded Koop.
According to some team members the LMT - and KFOR itself - provides a model of sorts to fashion their future after.
"We go out every day and prove to the people of Kosovo that working together can be done. We do this by just being a multinational task force. We are leading by example. We demonstrate that different races, genders, religions, and cultures can work together and be successful," said Salinas.
"In teaching the younger generation consistent goodwill, the task force becomes the poster child for how the world should get along," said Amaya. Some team members say, hopefully the people of Kosovo are monitoring us.