Here's how you know
 **Official websites use .mil** .mil
 **Secure .mil websites use HTTPS** lock () https://


Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 Toggle navigation
            
            
            
            
            National Guard
                        Always Ready Always There
                    National Guard
            
            Search National Guard:
                        Search
                    Search
                        Search National Guard:
                            Search
    Home

    News
    
        Guard News

    Overseas Operations

    State Partnership Program

    News Features

    RSS Feeds

    Press Releases

    Transcripts

    Features
    
        Features by Year

    Posture Statement

    State Partnership Program

    Special Features

    About the Guard
    
        How We Began

    Air National Guard

    Army National Guard    
    
        DEERS Soldier Journey

    Leader Development Program

    History and Heritage

    I am the Guard

    NGB Official March

    Leadership
    
        CNGB

    VCNGB

    SEA

    DANG

    DARNG

    Joint Staff    
    
        J-1

    J-2

    J-3

    J-4

    J-5

    J-6

    J-7

    J-8

    Personal Staff    
    
        Inspector General

    General Counsel

    Public Affairs

    Executive Support Services

    Legislative Liaison

    Special Staff    
    
        National Guard Office of Special Victims' Counsel

    Office of the Provost Marshal

    Office of the Joint Surgeon

    Director of Acquisitions

    Small Business Programs

    Chaplain

    Senior Leader Management Office

    Diversity Equity Inclusion

    Comptroller

    Resources    
        National Defense Strategy Implementation Guidance

    Community Engagement

    FOIA

    Fact Sheets

    Helpful Links

    Image Gallery
    
        News Images

    Graphics

    Historical Paintings

    Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

    Legislative Liaison

    Small Business Programs

    Social Media

    State Websites

    Videos    
    
        Featured Videos

    On Every Front

    2019 Videos

    2020 Videos

    2021 Videos

    Suicide Prevention

    Family Programs

    Environmental

    Trial Defense Service

    Holistic Wellness Challenge

    Contact Us  Home
  News
  Overseas Operations
 
 Download
 Details
 Share
 NEWS
 Guard Soldiers from Maryland and Virginia travel to Germany to help train next Kosovo forces By Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne
                29th Infantry Division
 HOHENFELS, Germany - Approximately 30 Maryland and Virginia National Guard Soldiers from the Fort Belvoir, Va.-based 29th Infantry Division conducted a three-week mission Jan. 12 to Feb. 2, 2014, at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany. The 29th ID Soldiers, led by Brig. Gen. Timothy E. Gowen, assistant division commander of the 29th Infantry Division, helped nearly 1,500 U.S. and international troops prepare to assume their role as Multinational Battle Group-East in Kosovo as part of Kosovo Force 18. "Our role was to provide a higher command for the 504th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade, which is preparing to take over the Multinational Battle Group-East mission set," Gowen said. "In effect, we are playing the role of KFOR headquarters. I, myself, am playing the role of commander of KFOR, Maj. Gen. Salvadore Farina." "We brought a whole cross section of the staff which really displays the flexibility and agility of our division staff," said Col. William Coffin, 29th ID chief of staff. "We can bring out an 'A team' like we did here and still have an 'A team' in the rear." The 29th ID Soldiers performed as the KFOR staff, serving as subject matter experts, enforcing KFOR orders, systems and procedures, and working with JMRC to help the deploying troops achieve their training objectives. They provided the commander of the JMRC Operations Group with real-time situational understanding and visualization of what the training unit was doing. Their presence forced the unit to provide reports and analysis to their higher command, just as they will be doing for KFOR when they assume responsibility to MNBG-E. "Up until now they had always conducted this training with a simulated higher headquarters but you can't really simulate the realism of a higher headquarters unless you have staff members at the other end of the phone to marry up with the subordinate staff sections," Gowen said. "For us to be here to demand from our subordinate element what a higher command usually requires, such as asking for reports and updates, telling them to react a certain way, all that adds a little friction to this training. They get tasked hard so they get to that level of competence that they need." KFOR is a NATO-led, international peacekeeping force responsible for helping to maintain a safe and secure environment in Kosovo. KFOR consists of two MNBGs which are ready to react to any threatening situation. MNBG-East is based at Camp Bondsteel and MNBG-West is based at Camp Villagio Italia. A battle group is a military organization at the level of a brigade, consisting of several battalion headquarters and numerous companies. These companies are highly mobile, flexible and rapidly deployable to potential trouble spots all over Kosovo. The 504th BFSB from Fort Hood, Texas, is replacing the 525th BFSB from Fort Bragg, N.C., as the command group for MNBG-E. In addition to the U.S. Soldiers, KFOR 18 includes troops from Albania, Armenia, Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Germany, Moldova, Romania and Slovenia. Col. Brent Johnson, the 29th ID staff judge advocate, experienced the KFOR mission rehearsal exercise in 2006 when he deployed with the 29th ID as part of KFOR 8. "A lot has changed since then," he said. "But in many ways we're still training for the same events, such as protests and riots. It's been interesting seeing some of the injects into the exercise because some of them seem to be based on what we saw and experienced when we were in Kosovo." The 504th wasn't the only unit that gained valuable training from the exercise. The 29th ID Soldiers gained valuable skills as well as exposure to their NATO allies. "The 29th is getting several things out of this," Gowen said. "Any time you have an opportunity for the staff to get together and act like a staff, it's great training. You can never get enough training and can never get enough opportunities to train as a staff." The opportunity to become more familiar with NATO mission set such as KFOR was another advantage for the 29th ID. "We're functioning as a two-star NATO headquarters which, being a division two-star staff, we could easily transition into our requirements here," Coffin said. "The difference is we have a joint and multinational flavor here which we don't normally get back home. It was great to see how the staff developed over a period of three weeks to function in a multinational environment." "The JRMC mission really opened my eyes to the complexities of a multinational mission," said Master Sgt. Thomas Nelson, who served as operations noncommissioned officer in charge. "This exercise provided the NCOs and officers an opportunity to broaden our operational perspectives in regard to peacekeeping operations. I feel our staff learned a great deal in this regard and I look forward to other opportunities to increase our knowledge bank." In addition, the Soldiers of the 29th had the opportunity to learn more about Germany in their downtime. "Some people had never been to Germany so this was a chance to learn about Germany and experience some of the culture," Coffin said. For Gowen, the personal highlight was the opportunity to represent the 29th in such a high-speed training environment. "It's great to work with the active duty and give them a better understanding of us and what we can do," he said. "We're contributing to the Kosovo mission set, to the National Guard requirements, and to our active duty brethren. We're doing our part to prepare Soldiers to go down range."
 SHARE
 PRINT
 NY National Guard Strengthens Bonds with Allies in Morocco Overseas Operations • 6 days ago
 Alaska Guard Soldiers Honored Before Middle East Deployment Overseas Operations • 13 days ago
 29th Infantry Division HQ Heads Exercise Immediate Response Overseas Operations • 18 days ago
 134th Medical Company Joins Combined Resolve Exercise Overseas Operations • 19 days ago
 Guard Soldiers, Czech Partners Celebrate Victory in Europe Day Overseas Operations • 21 days ago
 2024 (24)  2023 (57)  2022 (71)  2021 (58)  2020 (41)  2019 (56)  2018 (55)  2017 (46)  2016 (31)  2015 (36)  2014 (48)  2013 (64)  2012 (134)  2011 (163)  2010 (179)
 Home
 Site Map
 Privacy & Security Policy
 Link Disclaimer
 Web Policy
 DOD Information Quality
 DOD Open GovernmentFOIA
 No FEAR Act
 Accessibility/Section 508
 Contact Us
 Army Guard Careers
 Air Guard Careers
 USA.gov
                    
Staying Connected
    XYouTubeFlickrFacebookInstagram
                 
                
                

Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil