Army Guard’s 41st IBCT Prepares for NATO-led Mission

FORT CAVAZOS, Texas - The 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Oregon Army National Guard, and supporting National Guard units from across the United States completed a culminating training event Sept. 15, giving them the green light to move on to the next stage of their mobilization training at 7th Army Training Command's Training Area in Hohenfels, Germany.

For this mission, the brigade, consisting of units from the Oregon Army National Guard, Idaho Army National Guard, Tennessee Army National Guard and West Virginia Army National Guard, will serve as the Kosovo Forces Regional Command-East headquarters. Each unit brings specialties and capabilities, enabling the 41st to be successful throughout its nearly year-long mission in Kosovo.

"As a regional command, the 41st needs additional capacity to conduct the full spectrum of peacekeeping and stability operations," said U.S. Army Col. Peter Helzer, 41st IBCT commander. "By incorporating additional units and capabilities, we are best postured to respond to any contingency that may threaten a safe and secure environment for all people in Kosovo."

The 41st IBCT is undergoing post-mobilization training to prepare for deployment to Kosovo as part of the 34th NATO-led multinational peacekeeping mission known as KFOR.

The culminating training event was a week-long training exercise that consisted of job-specific training for each staff section and subordinate command falling under the 41st IBCT. Every day brought a new challenge for the Soldiers in the brigade.

"The Soldiers around me have put in thousands of hours of work in some of the toughest environments on Earth in preparation for this mission," said U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Tyson Bumgardner, 2nd Battalion, 162nd Infantry Regiment. "The CTE here in Texas is significant because it represents a final chance to test our standard operating procedures and develop new ones while still being supported by our active-duty support teams. I think the Soldiers are excited to exercise their hard-earned skills in support of the national effort."

Each section of the brigade was accompanied by observer, coach/trainer teams from the U.S. Army's First Army Division. This training ensures the deploying Soldiers are ready for their mission in the Balkans.

The final validation process will occur when they arrive at their next stop, the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany. At JMRC, the Soldiers will be evaluated on their ability to maintain a safe and secure environment in potential real-world scenarios. This training area will bring together multiple nations in a realistic and complex environment, introducing the teamwork it will take to create a stable and peaceful Kosovo.

"It's a very important peacekeeping mission," said U.S. Army Maj. Zantionyo Goodwin, a training coordinator with First Army. "After all, every person deserves to live in peace."

Upon completion of the validation process, the 41st IBCT will assume the KFOR Regional Command-East mission. They will be the 34th rotation of multinational commands to serve as an extra layer of security, keeping a safe and secure environment for all citizens of Kosovo.

KFOR, led by NATO, has been a peacekeeping mission since 1999 to maintain a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement in Kosovo.

The 41st IBCT will partner with Kosovo Police and the European Union Rule of Law Mission.

"The KFOR mission is significantly different than the missions that we as infantry Soldiers traditionally train for. The training we [received] in Texas and [will receive in] Germany will prepare us to support a safe and secure environment in Kosovo," said U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Benjamin Hyslop, a platoon leader with the Oregon Army National Guard's 2nd Battalion, 162 Infantry Regiment, a downtrace unit of the 41st IBCT. "KFOR 34 represents an excellent mission, with an extremely valuable objective, worthy of mine and my platoon's best efforts."

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