Wisconsin National Guard Soldiers support Bosnian mission

By Sgt. 1st Class James Wagner

MNBG E Public Affairs

CAMP BUTMIR, Bosnia-Herzegovina - While the majority of the deployed Wisconsin Army National Guard's 157th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade Soldiers support NATO peacekeeping efforts in Kosovo, a smaller contingent are on mission in another Balkan state entirely.

Last year, as approximately 300 Wisconsin Guard Soldiers mobilized to support the Kosovo Force mission at Camp Bondsteel, five Badger State Soldiers found themselves flying to Camp Butmir in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The five took over positions supporting NATO Headquarters in Sarajevo and its European Union Force, the international peacekeeping effort that began in 2005 when active peace enforcement operations as part of the Stabilization Force ended in the region.

NHQSA has three primary missions: advise the Bosnia government on defense reforms in order to integrate with the European Union, oversee Camp Butmir and oversee NATO personnel in Sarajevo.

According to Lt. Col. Michael Smith, U.S. Balkans National Support Element commander, the Wisconsin Soldiers at Camp Butmir support all U.S. personnel to include Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps.

"As European Command's only direct reporting unit in the Balkans area of responsibility, the NSE protects and executes U.S. interests on behalf of the geographic combatant commander," he said.

In addition to sharing the same geographical area - the Balkan Peninsula - the missions in Kosovo and Bosnia share many similarities. NATO peacekeeping forces in both regions are there to prevent further bloodshed in the wake of ethnic cleansing campaigns in the 1990s, while implementing measures to ensure subsequent flare ups don't occur in the region.

Only in the details are the mission requirements different. KFOR's primary responsibilities include actively providing a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement; EUFOR's mission is to oversee the military implementation of the 1995 Dayton Agreement, which ended the war between Muslim Bosniaks, Orthodox Serbs and Catholic Croats.

Pfc. Koty Slough from Oconto, Wis., a postal clerk who works in the National Support Element at Camp Butmir, said the people of Sarajevo and surrounding communities find the NATO presence here crucial to their country's long-term well-being.

"Our military presence in Bosnia leaves the people with a feeling of security and comfort, knowing that if they needed help we would be able to assist," he said.

Slough is one of several Wisconsin Soldiers working in the NSE, supporting U.S. forces stationed at Camp Butmir. In addition to postal service, they provide logistics and personnel support during their year-long deployment.

Soldiers from more than 20 countries are deployed to Camp Butmir, and like the many challenges posed at Camp Bondsteel, where Wisconsin soldiers in Kosovo are headquartered with Multinational Battle Group East, language differences are one of the biggest obstacles to properly executing a mission.

Capt. Jay Wilson from Helenville, Wis., logistics chief at NHQSA, has been on several deployments around the world, including Iraq and Afghanistan. Deployed Soldiers work extensively with their sister service counterparts, like the Navy and Air Force, to accomplish a mission.

Working at a NATO headquarters, however, introduces another level of joint service in a coalition environment. With more than 20 nations from around the world involved, finding a common language can be difficult. Fortunately for Americans, English is the predominant language spoken around the world, though individual skill levels in the language vary wildly from soldier to soldier at NATO.

"I find a lot of the people come here not knowing a lot of English - it takes time for them to get used to speaking it," Wilson said. "There are some misunderstandings before they get used to it."

Language barriers aside, NHQSA soldiers find common ground with projects over and above their mandated mission that help the people of Bosnia. Many take the time to work on projects that better assist the country assimilate into the European Union, whether it's visiting an international elementary school or raising money for disabled people.

"Several people have come up to me and said, 'Hey, thank you for being here, it means a lot to our people,'" Slough said. "A friend told me once, whether good or bad, you will leave this city a different person. Cliché or not, I know now that is true and only in a positive way, for me and for those I have come to know."

For the Soldiers of the 157th MEB, whether they went to Kosovo or Bosnia, that's a sentiment likely true in both regions.

Window Closing for Iran to Act, Obama, Cameron Say

By Jim Garamone

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON  – Sanctions and diplomatic pressure against Iran are working and need more time, but the window for Iran to act is closing, British and American leaders said here today.

President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron emphasized they are united in the effort to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. The men spoke at a news conference after White House meetings.

“We believe there is still time and space to pursue a diplomatic solution,” Obama said. Britain and the United States will consult closely with allies as the process moves forward, he added.

“Tehran must understand that it cannot escape or evade the choice before it: meet your international obligations or face the consequences,” the president said.

Cameron said Obama has taken a “tough, reasonable approach” that has united the world behind the sanction program.

“Britain has played a leading role in helping to deliver an EU-wide oil embargo,” the prime minister said. “Alongside the financial sanctions being led by America, this embargo is dramatically increasing the pressure on the regime.”

The two men reiterated that nothing is off the table regarding the Iranian nuclear program. “That is essential for the safety of the region and the wider world,” Cameron added.

Iran’s time to act is now, Obama said.

“In the past, there's been a tendency for Iran to … delay, to stall, to do a lot of talking, but not actually move the ball forward,” he said. “I think they should understand that because the international community has applied so many sanctions, because we have employed so many of the options that are available to us to persuade Iran to take a different course, the window for solving this issue diplomatically is shrinking.”

Kosovo: Georgia Guard members, Kosovo soldiers remove northern roadblock

By Army National Guard Sgt. 1st Class James Wagner
Vermont National Guard

JARINGE, Kosovo (2/27/12) -- Soldiers from Multinational Battle Group East - specifically Georgia National Guard members - and Kosovo forces cleared a roadblock at the most northern official crossing point between Kosovo and Serbia Feb. 17 to Feb.18, near here.

Gate 1 is the official crossing point between the two territories and is manned by customs and border management officials from the European Union Law Enforcement Mission. The roadblock was setup last year by Serbians protesting the Kosovo government, which declared its independence from Serbia in 2008.

Since September 2011, people traveling near the border crossing have relied on alternate crossing points between Kosovo and Serbia, which were not safe once weather conditions worsened, according to U.S. Army Lt. Col. Joe Lynch, commander of the Georgia Army National Guard's 3rd Squadron, 108th Cavalry Regiment, who led the mission to clear the roadblock.

“Over the past several weeks, the weather conditions have made the bypasses that people of northern Kosovo have been using dangerous,” Lynch said. “KFOR is tasked to ensure freedom of movement for all people within the territory of Kosovo and the debris piles blocking the road were within the boundaries of Kosovo; so removing the debris blocking this roadway is part of our mandate.”

The importance of freedom of movement for all Kosovo residents, one of KFOR's responsibilities under United Nations Resolution 1244, was highlighted by the recent avalanches in southern Kosovo and throughout Europe, which has claimed the lives of many people in the region. Clear roads are an essential part of getting humanitarian and emergency response crews to any location that has seen a record level of snowfall this season.

The mission, directed by German Army Maj. Gen. Erhard Drews, KFOR commander, also sought to re-establish the administrative boundary line at the crossing point between Kosovo and Serbia. Coordinating with the Serbian armed forces, members of MNBG E's Joint Implementation Commission provided documentation showing the roadblock was located on Kosovo territory, not Serbian, and thus was KFOR's responsibility to remove.

The snowfall this winter prompted military planners to expect the roadblock removal mission to last several days. The weather the night before reinforced that perception, with several inches of snow blanketing the northern portion of Kosovo. Despite the newly-dropped snow, MNBG E officials were able to remove the debris and snow within hours when the next day dawned sunny and relatively warm.

Assisting MNBG E in removing the snow were members of KFOR's Swiss and Austrian contingents. Chainsaws and snow plows aided manpower to accomplish the mission.

According to military officials, there are currently 13 roadblocks in northern Kosovo, although only two of them completely block traffic. Most are one-lane checkpoints manned by local Kosovo Serbians to control traffic.

When MNBG E arrived late last year, there were more than 20 roadblocks, but the Gate 1 roadblock is the first the U.S.-led forces have had to physically remove.

“MNBG E has been successfully creating an environment within the north Kosovo region where the roadblocks are not needed,” Lynch said.

“There has been a great deal of dialogue between representatives of MNBG E, Joint Regional Detachment North [JRD N] and KFOR with local leaders, in order to get their cooperation in either removing the roadblocks completely or reducing their size,” he said.

Defense, State Agree to Pursue Conduct Code for Outer Space

By Lisa Daniel
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 18, 2012 – The departments of Defense and State have agreed an international code of conduct should govern activities in outer space, and officials announced plans to work with the European Union to develop it.

Pentagon Press Secretary George Little yesterday issued a statement saying DOD “supports the concept” of an international code of conduct for outer space activities.

“An international code of conduct can enhance U.S. national security by encouraging responsible space behavior by reducing the risk of mishaps, misperceptions and mistrust,” he said.

Little added that a European Union draft plan “is a promising basis for an international code.”

Little’s statement followed Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s announcement yesterday that the United States has decided to join with the European Union and other nations to develop a code of conduct, which she said “will help maintain the long-term sustainability, safety, stability, and security of space by establishing guidelines for the responsible use of space.”

Clinton’s announcement came two days after a Russian spacecraft crashed into the Pacific Ocean about 700 miles west of Chile. The European Union issued its proposal about the same time as another space mishap – the February 2009 collision between a commercial satellite and that of a Russian military satellite, according to reports.

“The long-term sustainability of our space environment is at serious risk from space debris and irresponsible actors,” Clinton said. “Ensuring the stability, safety and security of our space systems is of vital interest to the United States and the global community. These systems allow the free flow of information across platforms that open up our global markets, enhance weather forecasting and environmental monitoring, and enable global navigation and transportation.

“Unless the international community addresses these challenges,” Clinton continued, “the environment around our planet will become increasingly hazardous to human space flight and satellite systems, which would create damaging consequences for all of us.”

Opponents of the European Union plan have said it would restrict U.S. military options. But Clinton said yesterday that the U.S. government “has made clear to our partners that we will not enter into a code of conduct that in any way constrains our national security-related activities in space, or our ability to protect the United States and our allies.”

In early 2011, then-Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper approved a National Security Space Strategy designed to govern congestion and competition in space, as well as contested areas of space.