Major Goof

Today we drove through the rolling hills and passed the familiar mountains that linger on both sides of the border. Usually I can describe Kosovo as a giant image of poor peasants and scenes of prior combat that has left destruction in its wake. But today, the scenery was stunning as we passed through the small villages. It would have been nice to remain in my dreamy stooper, but I was driving and around one of those long and winding corners we suddenly popped into the bustling city of Gnjilane. Horns honking, cross walks full of pedestrians with places to go and parking spots at a premium. The cars (kind of) follow some resemblance of traffic laws, while the same rowdy rules apply for the traffic circles. I have yet to take off someone else’s bumper, ... read more

It’s not every day that I get to travel to the Republic of Macedonia, in fact this was the first time and guaranteed to be the last. Incredibly we are located very close to the border and for business purposes we can cross over, but really can’t be hanging around. As we started on our journey the skies were overcast, so when we drove along the streets of Kosovo it was easy to notice the dingy, dirty trash laden sides of the pot holed roads. The gray sky did nothing to enhance the beautiful country side, as the many shades of greens that are usually reflected in the grasses and trees just seemed to get lost by the ever present signs of destruction. We were traveling with an interpreter who was more than eager to explain ... read more

Sometimes Soldiers are afforded the most incredible opportunities, or maybe there are those once in a lifetime moments that are impossible to revisit ever again. This trip for a very few would fall into that catagory. With moments of faith and memories that will forever run deep, I am unable to capture the essence of this journey. I would like to share with you an article written by one of our Public Affairs Specialists who attended this special pilgramage. I hope you enjoy his words and visual expression. Story by Spc. Chris Erickson, 116th Public Affairs Detachment KFOR Soldiers make military pilgrimage to Lourdes LOURDES, France - Kosovo Forces Soldiers recently put down their weapons and picked up their crosses. The Soldiers were among thousands of troops who traveled to Lourdes, France for the 52nd Annual ... read more

“Ironman”…Traditionally a test of endurance through the likes of swimming, biking and running. Not here in Kosovo. We have created our own rules, or own games and our own contestants. The crowd gathered by the gym, hundreds of soldiers just to watch the afternoon activities. The Polish competing against the soldiers from North Dakota, the army women against the Turks, the LMT’s against the Defenders. What a show we were to see, the energy was contagious and spirits were high. The tire roll started the games. The “Ironman Games”! The teams had to work together to get a rhythm, lift..heave..flip..push. In many languages you could hear grunts, yelling at each other for motivation and cheering when victory fell upon them. The crowd would keep a constant chant, it didn’t matter which team was doing the task, ... read more

Now I haven’t quite decided if that’s a good thing or not. While at Camp Atterbury Indiana when we were out-processing nearly 600 soldiers to return to their homes, it was bittersweet, as we knew that after they left we would be returning to duty here in Kosovo in a matter of days. So we really tried to not get used to the creature comforts of the United States. After all, who wouldn’t enjoy the treasures we were afforded in our few weeks in Indiana. MILK…Yes, real MILK! That had to of been the best! Every day, it was milk on the cereal, milk with our subway sandwich and milk with our steak. I just couldn’t drink enough of it. At Camp Bondsteel all they have is some form of liquid that pretends to be milk, ... read more