Courtesy Photo | Soldiers from Task Force Liaison and Monitoring Team, Team 1, practice entering and...... read more read more
CAMP ATTERBURY, Ind. — Units involved in the upcoming Kosovo Force 12 deployment are now on their way to the final segment of mobilization training after finishing their exercises at Camp Atterbury, Ind.
Now, the incoming members of KFOR 12 Multinational Task Force-East will go through their final Mission Rehearsal Exercise at Hohenfels, Germany.
The contingent is comprised of about 1,400 Soldiers. Thirteen states and the U.S. Virgin Islands all contributed units for the mission, augmented by individual Soldiers from nearly every other state.
The force is split up into multiple task forces, each with their own specific mission.
SOLDIERS ACROSS U.S. PARTNER IN MISSION
Brig. Gen. Alan Dohrmann, commanding general of MNTF-E, said the task force drew an advantage from so many different backgrounds.
"They always say that diversity gives you strength, and I think in the case of KFOR 12, we've gained a lot of strength from all the diversity we have," Dohrmann said.
He said when the mobilization process began 18 months earlier, whenever a state was identified as being part of KFOR 12, North Dakota sent representatives out to "meet them, greet them and let them know what we were doing in North Dakota to get ready for the mission."
This was done because North Dakota is the lead state in the entire force, contributing about 650 Soldiers to the mission.
Lt. Col. Lee Nordin commands Task Force Maneuver Task Force 2. He said because the task force members had trained together for so long, they had consistently been ahead of the mobilization training process.
"We've had time to plan and execute our own training while we've been here," he said. "That's been a real advantage because it gives us prep and rehearsal time, which some units may not have.
"Company commanders were given time to be successful, which they used to their advantage," Nordin continued. "For the most part, the time they had at home station during the premobilization train-up, we've gotten quite far ahead of the game."
Although each unit took care of some training at its home station, some things had to be done at Camp Atterbury. Units started by refining their individual Soldier skills, and the Command Post Exercises and first MRX had to be carried out in order to see how the entire task force could
work together under simulated real-world conditions.
"Since we've been here, because of that work we did before we got to [mobilization] station, this team came together very quickly and it shows in the training we have executed to this point,"
Dohrmann said.
Command Sgt. Maj. Jack Cripe, task force command sergeant major, agreed.
"To fill the diversity of the force structure, we had no choice but to go deep [within individual units], and we're finding out that decision is paying huge dividends," Cripe said. "We are well ahead of where they expected us to be, which makes it easier on the Soldiers. Morale and discipline remain high."
That morale and discipline has taken the large contingent through training, such as land navigation, detainee operations, searching for high value targets, close-range subject control, sling-load operations, rappelling, riot control and weapons qualifications, to name a few.
Lt. Col. Wallace Bonds, commander of Task Force Aviation, said although his task force was comprised of Soldiers from three states, people got along and started working together quickly.
"The platoon who refills the helicopters with gas has seven Soldiers from South Carolina and six from Kentucky," Bonds said. "They fell in right together in the barracks and have had very good teamwork thus far. They set up a hot gas refuel point almost immediately, which has run smoothly from the get-go."
Bonds said in addition to getting to know one another and training, the maintenance crews had been working diligently.
"They've been working their butts off night and day and have really done a great job to keep the helicopters in the air for us," he said.
Nordin said drawing Soldiers from different areas was beneficial.
"It's a good foundation for us to build off of," he said. "We've had some marked advantages over previous mobilizations. First, Brig. Gen. Dohrmann has stressed teamwork and bringing this organization together as a team since the very beginning. Second, we've really had a lengthy time to work together.
"We've worked together for two years now, which is longer than a lot of command teams or units work together," Nordin continued. "We've had a distinct advantage and have coalesced into one smooth operating machine."
That level of teamwork will come in handy when MNTF-E places boots on the ground in Kosovo. Dohrmann said the mission — mandated by the United Nations through NATO — will be to maintain a safe and secure environment, to ensure freedom of movement.
"In regular terms, that means an environment where kids feel safe playing or going to school and parents feel safe going to the market," Dohrmann said. "It's a place where people feeling safe doing their day-to-day activities."
Nordin agreed, saying his task force's primary mission was to patrol in sector, which means that they are there to make sure people get along and go about their day-to-day life with no problems.
ENVIRONMENT FACTORS INTO MISSION
To keep all of the elements of the mission moving smoothly, other things need to be considered, such as the possible challenges that a large force like KFOR 12 could face.
Dohrmann said that one challenge was the environment. Although many KFOR 12 Soldiers have served in either Iraq or Afghanistan, Kosovo could provide a less stressful tempo and more friendly atmosphere.
"There are challenges here for all of us, but Soldiers, once you properly train them on their mission, always do an outstanding job of executing that mission," Dohrmann added.
Nordin said for many people, the challenge could be the deployment itself.
"You're still away from home," he said. "Your family still has to work through issues without your help. We have a 12-month window of operation for this mission."
MAINTAINING MORALE AND MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Dohrmann said by the time KFOR 12 ends, he wants the task force to have made a difference.
"It is important that we take what our predecessors have done and improve upon that," he said. "We want to make a difference in the lives of the people in Kosovo during the time we are there. We have talented people looking at how it is we can make a difference.
All leaders agreed that morale had remained high during the training process.
Dohrmann said throughout mobilization training, he was impressed on how dedicated Soldiers were to the mission.
"I have seen incredible initiative, attitudes are great and it's been a pleasure for me to be a part of this mission."
"When you're good at what you do, it makes you feel better about what you're doing," Nordin said.
"I see that when I speak to them and when they interact with each other."
"Soldiers have been working extremely hard continuing to build the team," Bonds said. "They understand what an important mission this is and they're doing great and are very excited."
Since the terrorist attacks on America, the North Dakota National Guard has mobilized more than 3,400 Soldiers and nearly 1,800 Airmen in support of the Global War on Terrorism. Earlier in 2009, nearly 2,000 North Dakota National Guardsmen were mobilized for flood fighting missions all across North Dakota. With a total force of about 4,400 Soldiers and Airmen, we have sufficient forces available to provide emergency response and homeland defense.
| Date Taken: | 09.18.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 09.18.2009 21:10 |
| Story ID: | 38983 |
| Location: | CAMP ATTERBURY, INDIANA, US |
| Web Views: | 433 |
| Downloads: | 407 |
This work, * DO NOT PUBLISH * - Kosovo Force 12 Soldiers Ready for Next Phase of Mobilization, by Chris Erickson, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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