Photo By Sgt. Cheryl Madolev | U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to Regional Command-East of the NATO-led Kosovo Force...... read more read more
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For many years the chaplains of the U.S. Army have dedicated their time and service to Soldiers. On every deployment there are chaplains who recognize and tend to the mental, physical, and spiritual challenges that Soldiers face daily.
And alongside chaplains, especially while abroad, is typically an interpreter: A subject matter expert on the language, dialect, and quite often, the culture of the region.
The Soldiers living on Camp Bondsteel and assigned to Kosovo Force Regional Command-East, or KFOR RC-E, are supported by U.S. Army Chaplain (Maj.) Patrice Borne, 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Oregon Army National Guard.
The U.S. and other NATO Allies and partners have been leading the KFOR peacekeeping mission since 1999.
The operation derives its mandate from United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244, and was created to end the humanitarian crisis occurring in Kosovo at that time. Soldiers from over 20 nations continue serving missions here.
Many civilians in the region remember very vividly the hardships and despair from the war that ended in 1999 with NATO intervention. The overall KFOR mission is to provide these people, and those living in Kosovo today, a safe and secure environment with freedom of movement.
A portion of Borne’s mission as the leader of the Religious Support Team and Brigade Chaplain for RC-E includes meeting with religious representatives in the region and educating Soldiers on cultural diversity and sensitivities within the local communities with whom they interact daily. Before arriving in Kosovo, she was diligent in doing research of the area and the people living here.
However, she needed assistance from someone who could bridge the cultural and language gaps that only a member of the community could do. Borne’s interpreter, Naim Bajrami, has proven to be a very successful conduit of communication and cultural awareness.
Bajrami is from Pristina, Kosovo, and like many others, he was forced to leave his home for a period of time due to the violence and instability caused by war. Not long after returning to Kosovo, he became an interpreter, and has been working with KFOR since 1999.
Interpreters have been employed by the U.S. military as service members, or as civilians, in multiple locations around the world for many years. Bajrami did not initially work with the U.S. contingent of KFOR as an interpreter. Nonetheless, he found himself working alongside U.S. Soldiers a few years later.
As Bajrami sits in Borne’s office in Camp Bondsteel, he recalls fond memories of the different U.S. Soldiers he has worked alongside over the last two decades.
“In 2003, I ended up in Camp Bondsteel,” said Bajrami. “What I’ve learned about freedom is through American Soldiers. They nurture freedom and know they cannot afford to lose freedom.”
Bajrami says that at a young age his interest in television and music motivated him to learn English. There were many songs that he and his friends wanted to know the meaning of. Becoming fluent in other languages not only enabled him to eventually become an interpreter working with KFOR, but also changed his life in more substantial ways.
“It opened the door for me to another world and other culture,” said Bajrami. “It changed my life, and I never thought that could happen.”
Borne says that she considers Bajrami an invaluable member of her Religious Support Team. She says that any time her team is outside of the camp, she is comfortable knowing that he is with them. When travelling to different municipalities and villages to meet with priests, Imams and other religious groups, she is very thankful that she has Bajrami to translate.
“He makes us complete here,” said Borne. “He is always on the pulse of what is going on. He is fair, honest and professional.”
Bajrami says that he has served as an interpreter for almost 20 rotations of chaplains. He believes that the chaplain’s interactions and relationships with religious representatives in Kosovo assists KFOR in encouraging tolerance and acceptance in the region regardless of religion.
“A person’s religion is sacred and personal to them,” said Bajrami. “Chaplains convey this culture to them. It is important to let people believe what they believe in their heart, and with peace and understanding.”
The young generation of adults in Kosovo were either not yet born or were too young to understand the tragedy that was occurring in Kosovo in the late 90s. Bajrami says these young adults take a lot of their freedom for granted. However, he is happy they have not seen the things that he has seen or shared in the experiences that he once faced.
Borne and Bajrami both enjoy their hobbies. Borne loves to paint and has held painting activities for Soldiers. Bajrami loves to cook Italian dishes and wants to share his love of cooking by hosting classes for Soldiers on making fresh pizza and homemade pastas. Both also share a passion for their duties in Kosovo and the KFOR mission. As a native of Kosovo, Bajrami holds a deep appreciation to U.S. Soldiers and the sacrifices they make back home while on deployment here.
“He is invested in the mission,” said Borne. “As much as we want to be successful in our mission, he also wants us to succeed.”
| Date Taken: | 02.05.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 02.24.2025 10:28 |
| Story ID: | 490180 |
| Location: | CAMP BONDSTEEL, ZZ |
| Web Views: | 59 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, KFOR chaplains, interpreters: Building Bridges of communication and culture, by SGT Cheryl Madolev, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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