Photo By Sgt. Grant Ligon | KFOR 26 Regional Command – East’s Liaison Monitoring Team K-21 team member, Spc....... read more read more
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CAMP BONDSTEEL, Kosovo – A single chandelier provided enough light, yet the room’s real light came from the hope provided by the women who run “My Home” – a shelter for women and child victims of violence. The KFOR Regional Command – East Liaison Monitoring Team, K-21, collaborated with TF MED to arrange a meeting, with shelter leaders, in Ferizaj, Kosovo on Aug. 28.
The goal of the meeting was to exchange ideas and with the help of TF MED Clinical Psychologist and Chief of Behavioral Health and Specialty Services, Maj. Demietrice Pittman, find ways to improve victims’ conditions.
Meetings such as this help the LMTs establish relationships based on confidence with the women of the shelter and local community in Kosovo.
“We want the population to feel that they can trust us and come to us with problems,” said Staff Sgt. Garrett Kirby. We’ll address them if we can.”
Kirby is deployed in support of KFOR LMT K-21, from 1st Battalion, 297th Infantry Regiment, Alaska National Guard.
LMTs are responsible for going out in public regularly, and acting as the KFOR Commander’s eyes and ears. They collect information to understand and feel the pulse of the Kosovo population.
Kirby said the first time he met the women of My Home, they were warm and inviting. They shared laughs and exchanged smiles over Turkish coffee. On their third visit, Kirby brought Hawaiian coffee as a small gesture of appreciation.
“The spread they put out for us was really nice and the Turkish coffee was really good,” he said. “I always spend about two hours there because they enjoy talking with us and I enjoy listening at the same time.”
LMTs engagement reinforces the shared values of gender balance and integrate a gender perspective in the daily work. Kirby plans to visit more and continues to listen to their issues and concerns as well as work on possible solutions.
Kirby enjoys his role as an LMT with the opportunities he has to talk with the people of Kosovo, while representing KFOR and the United States in a positive light. He emphasized that the outcome of the public’s perception is part of LMT work.
“The information, the goodwill and the charity that you get out of it is incredible,” Kirby said. “We are definitely a force multiplier in that respect.”
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| Date Taken: | 08.28.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 09.12.2019 04:27 |
| Story ID: | 339969 |
| Location: | CAMP BONDSTEEL, ZZ |
| Web Views: | 140 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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