• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

US Military

  • Branches
    • Army
    • Navy
    • Air Force
    • Marine Corps
    • Coast Guard
    • National Guard
    • Air National Guard
    • Find A Recruiter
  • Find A Recruiter
  • Military Benefits
    • GI Bill
    • VA Loans
    • Military Scholarships
    • Military Friendly Colleges
    • Money
  • Jobs
    • Military Pay Chart
    • Veteran Jobs
    • Civilian Jobs
  • VA Loan Rates
  • Military News
    • Top News
    • Benefits
    • Careers
    • Education
    • Featured Columnists
      • Larry Fowler
      • Scott Ostrow
      • Kim Lengling
      • Dr. Sasha Toperich
      • Rick Stewart
  • USM Shop
  • GI Bill
  • VA Loans
  • Military Scholarships
  • Top Military-Friendly Colleges and Universities in America

Indiana Soldiers Prepare for Kosovo Mission

September 27, 2007 By admin

By Staff Sgt. Les Newport, USA
Special to American Forces Press Service

CAMP ATTERBURY, Ind., Sept. 27, 2006 – While a multinational assembly met at the United Nations in mid-September to evaluate progress on the Kosovo situation, a multi-state task force of National Guard soldiers prepared to assume responsibilities of U.S. peacekeeping efforts in the region.

Kosovo Force 8 will depart Camp Atterbury in October after several months of training, much of which included a series of command-post exercises designed to test command-and-control elements of the force.

The exercise consists of three cycles that become progressively more involved, Army Maj. David Webber, plans and operations officer for 3rd Brigade, 85th Division, said.

Webber’s primary responsibility is managing the scenarios and exercises that take place in the 33,000 acres of training area at Camp Atterbury, as well as at the Muscatatuck Urban Training Area, where KFOR 8 has been training.

“The first phase involved just the command decision makers, and those decisions affect what commanders will face in phases two and three,” Webber said. “As the exercises unfold, more of the task force is brought in to participate.”

In order to maintain a realistic training environment that reflects what KFOR 8 will see in Kosovo, many of the training areas have undergone remodeling. Simulated Iraqi villages have been converted to resemble villages that KFOR will see in the Balkans. Changes include new road signs, maps, even political posters and graffiti scrawled on buildings.

In keeping with U.S. 1st Army’s “theater-immersion training philosophy, 3rd Brigade also has adjusted training to reflect the differences between the two areas of operation. Interpreters from the Balkans have been brought in to assist in cultural awareness training and negotiation training, and U.S. soldiers of the 87th Division are role-playing liaison officers of coalition forces.

“In Kosovo, (KFOR 8) will be working with the armed forces of several other countries: Greek, Italian Carabinieri (national military policing force) and the Polish/Ukrainian contingency just to name a few,” Webber said.

Webber stressed that managing communication flow and meeting reporting requirements are the keys to maintaining a successful training mission, as well as a successful yearlong peacekeeping mission in Kosovo.

“Decisions that commanders make are actually affecting soldiers in the field (at Camp Atterbury),” Webber said. “The more they exercise those skills here, the more effective they will be on deployment.”

Camp Atterbury’s multi-million-dollar Joint Simulation Training Exercise Center complex serves as the command post during the exercise. The facility is fitted with the latest in an array of communication systems for commanders.

The command and staff elements of KFOR 8 filled the Virtual Simulations Facility, a sprawling 20,000-square-foot structure, establishing a tactical operations center, as well as supporting elements to manage the exercise.

Among the supporting elements is Task Force Patriot, a battalion of New England National Guard soldiers charged with force security missions. TF Patriot Commander Lt. Col. Erick Furey emphasized that the exercise was key for his staff and battalion.

“The training during this CPX has been very realistic,” Furey said. “I have trained without contractors role playing the media and local government officials, and that realism has made the training excellent.”

Furey also said the CPX has been valuable for his battalion staff because they have worked on procedures for coordinating staff functions and procedures and for synthesizing and analyzing information.

Task Force Patriot will leave with the balance of KFOR 8 in October for further training exercises at the Combat Maneuver Training Center, in Hohenfels, Germany, before deploying to Kosovo.

(Army Staff Sgt. Les Newport is a staff reporter for the Atterbury Crier.)

Filed Under: Top News, Updates

[related_posts_by_tax format="thumbnails" limit_posts="100" image_size="sidebar-thumbnail" public_only="true" posts_per_page="6"]

Primary Sidebar

USMilitary.com Career Guide

Sign up to receive USMilitary.com email updates and to hear what's going on with all military branches!

Featured Columnists

Larry Fowler

Larry Fowler is the publisher of USMilitary.com Network one of America's premier privately owned

Autobiography Compares Christian Living With Navy SEAL Training (BUD/S).

Scott Ostrow

Lt Col (Dr.) Scott A. Ostrow retired from the Air Force in September 2005 and has been teaching

Must Read: The Truth About The ASVAB Test Prep From The Man Who Wrote The Book

Kim Lengling

Kim Lengling is a Air Force Veteran whose passion is to help support veterans and their

The Moving Wall: Women Who Paid The Ultimate Price For Their Country

Dr. Sasha Toperich

Dr. Sasha Toperich is the Senior Executive Vice President at Transatlantic Leadership

Sarraj’s Dangerous Dance With Power

Rick Stewart

Rick Stewart is a former United States Air Force Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE)

Announcing American Patriots Unsung Magazine

Nathan B. Nelson

Capt (ret) Nathan B. Nelson is the Director of Military Affairs for the 1st Congressional district

Three Critical Considerations for Every Veteran Prior to Leaving Active Duty

Laquan Daniels

Laquan Daniel is a military recruiting expert with over 17 years of specialized experience in the

Important News For Military Transitioning Veterans

Veteran Buzz

Hire Military Veterans

Which Companies Are Most Likely to Hire Military Veterans?

July 30, 2018 By Ben Ehinger

High-Paying Jobs for Military Veterans

5 High-Paying Jobs for Military Veterans

July 2, 2018 By Ben Ehinger

High Paying Jobs Not Requiring a Degree

June 28, 2018 By Ben Ehinger

Footer

  • Advertise With Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Write For US
  • Link to Us

Recent

  • Apache Attack Helicopter Pilot: To Maintain a Watchful Eye, “Above the Best”
  • Peering Into The Future: NATO 2030 Initiative Announced
  • Autobiography Compares Christian Living With Navy SEAL Training (BUD/S).
  • What Military Branch Sees the Most Combat?
  • From Belarus “With Love”, Yet Again

Search

© Copyright 2021 USMillitary
Web Design by Goebel Media Group


THIS IS A PRIVATE WEBSITE THAT IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE U.S. GOVERNMENT, U.S. ARMED FORCES, OR DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. U.S. GOVERNMENT AGENCIES HAVE NOT REVIEWED THIS INFORMATION. THIS SITE IS NOT CONNECTED WITH ANY GOVERNMENT AGENCY.

​Tips
Discounts
News

​

​

Join the USMilitary.com Newsletter Today!

By subscribing you agree to our terms & conditions

x