Col. Eric Riley and Command Sgt. Maj. Bradley Huppunen unveil the Oregon Army National Guard flag March 17, 2020, at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo. The unveiling of the brigade colors signified the transfer of command authority of outgoing Kosovo Force Regional-Command East commander. Riley will command the 27th iteration of KFOR RC-E personnel comprised of troops from the U.S Army and NATO partner and ally nations. RC-E is charged with ensuring freedom of movement and the safety of all the people of Kosovo. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Miguel Ruiz)

Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 162nd Infantry Regiment, Oregon Army National Guard, salute during the national anthem, March 16, 2020, at Camp Marechal de Lattre de Tassigny, Kosovo. The 2-162 represents the 27th rotation of maneuvering forces that are a part of Kosovo Force’s Regional-Command East. They attended a change of command ceremony where their commander, Lt. Col. Kyle Akers, assumed command of the RC-E kinetic battalion. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Miguel Ruiz)

U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Phillip Milam exchanges gifts with Vitina mayor Sokol Haliti March 20, 2020, in Vitina, Kosovo. Milam is a member of new Kosovo Force Regional-Command East liaison monitoring team personnel who arrived in Kosovo this month. In a statement Milam said he looks forward to meeting regularly with Haliti in the coming months. “Maintaining our good relationship is one of our highest priorities,” said Milam. “We will continue to support Mayor Haliti, Vitina, and all the people of Kosovo.” (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Miguel Ruiz)

Kosovo Security Force and Kosovo Force Regional-Command East task force explosive ordnance disposal personnel secure unexploded ordnance March 21, 2020, in Pristina, Kosovo. Kosovo Police alerted KSF and TF EOD about the four UXO located in a small stream within city limits. The UXO had never been fired and was safe to be handled by the KSF who stored the UXO in a secure location. The KP, KSF and TF EOD work together to provide a safe and secure environment for all the people of Kosovo (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Miguel Ruiz)

Slovenian Armed Forces Sgt. 1st. Class Damir Zalokar, a member of Kosovo Force Regional-Command East’s effects battalion visits with RC-E task force public affairs detachment commander Capt. Nadine DeMoura and non-commissioned officer in charge Staff Sgt. Melisa Washington March 27, 2020, at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo. Zalokar shared stories of his experiences working in the effects battalion as his service with KFOR is nearing its end. DeMoura and Washington, who are organic to the Texas Army National Guard's 100th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, are a part of the newest iteration of KFOR RC-E troops who arrived in Kosovo a month ago. RC-E personnel, old and new, are charged with ensuring the safety and security, and freedom of movement to all the people of Kosovo. (U.S. Army National Guard photos by Spc. Miguel Ruiz)

U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Lisa Doumont speaks to Kosovo Force 27 medical task force Soldiers, Feb. 24, 2020, at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany. Doumont commands the U.S. Army Reserve Medical Readiness and Training Command based in San Antonio, Texas. She visited the task force’s aid station at the JMRC to offer words of encouragement ahead of their mission in Kosovo. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Miguel Ruiz)

U.S. Army Soldiers from Kosovo Force Regional Command-East conduct hot, cold load training with Soldiers from the Turkish army on March 16, 2020, on Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo. Hot, cold training teaches military members the proper safety procedures to enter and exit a helicopter. Part of KFOR RC-East Task Force Aviation’s mission is to provide all the task forces and multinational units with transportation to allow for expedient, safe and secure movement to complete missions throughout Kosovo.
(U.S. Army National Guard photo by Capt. Adam Wehrle)

Soldiers from 423rd Military Police Company, U.S. Army Reserve, from Shoreham, New York train on room-clearing procedures and active shooter response, Feb. 25, 2020, on Camp Albertshof in Hohenfels, Germany. Training ensures the military police are able to respond quickly and tactically in an active shooter scenario. The detachment is training in preparation to assist, protect and defend all U.S. Forces in Kosovo during the NATO-led Kosovo Force mission. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Seok Cha)

CAMP BONDSTEEL, Kosovo - U.S. Army Col. Eric Riley took command of Kosovo Force Regional-Command East at a change of command ceremony March 17, 2020, at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo.

Riley is a member of the Oregon Army National Guard’s 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team and will command RC-E’s maneuver battalion, effects battalion and a series of support task forces charged with ensuring the safety, security, and freedom of movement for all the people of Kosovo.

“I’m honored to support the people and institutions of Kosovo in maintaining peaceful and stable communities,” said Riley. “I am eager to forge new relationships and grow existing relationships as we move forward with our mission. KFOR RC-E is committed to empowering our Kosovo partner organizations as they continue their progress towards a peaceful and stable Kosovo.”

Riley will utilize the contributions of several RC-E components who are all committed to the success of the KFOR mission.

One of RC-E’s largest components is the maneuver battalion. It is comprised of troops from the Oregon Army National Guard’s 2nd Battalion, 162nd Infantry Regiment, Turkey and Poland, and is commanded by Lt. Col. Kyle Akers.

The maneuver battalion is responsible for patrolling Kosovo’s administrative boundary lines, municipalities, and provides support to local authorities to maintain security in Kosovo, said Akers.

“Having multiple nations cooperate and contribute their experiences ensures the maneuver battalion is competent, professional and capable of achieving our mission along Kosovo’s administrative boundary line and within RC-E’s area of responsibility,” said Akers. “This cooperation helps to continue multinational interoperability within NATO and KFOR.”

Another large component of RC-E is the effects battalion.

The effects battalion commander, Slovenian Armed Forces Lt. Col. Aleksander Vidergar, said the effects battalion’s mission highlights collaboration between RC-E liaison monitoring teams and Kosovo’s communities, officials and organizations.

“Our mission is to observe and annotate the status of the Kosovo people’s safety and security,” said 1st. Lt. Parker Mooney, an LMT team leader. “Our observations and the information that we collect helps determine KFOR initiatives for providing a safe and secure environment and maintaining relations with the people of Kosovo.”

KFOR RC-E consists of 16 LMT teams who communicate daily with various Kosovo communities and is comprised of troops from Switzerland, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Slovenia, Turkey and the U.S.

“Our LMTs monitor key Kosovo personnel, institutions and important events,” said Vidergar. “Ultimately LMTs represent the daily dialogue between the Kosovo community and RC-E.”

Other well-established task forces within RC-E enable and support the maneuver and effects battalions and ultimately help accomplish the KFOR mission of providing safety, security and freedom of movement for the people of Kosovo.

“This is a mature theater of operations and we are well equipped to accomplish our mission,” said ORARNG 41st IBCT’s Col. Noel Hoback, deputy commander of RC-E. “We’ve been here [in Kosovo] for 20 years and our support units and task forces are competent, well trained, and ready to accomplish their respective missions.”

Task force explosive ordnance disposal personnel directly assist local Kosovo organizations such as the Kosovo Police and Kosovo Security Forces in the removal of unexploded ordnance found within Kosovo.

TF EOD utilizes three U.S. teams from the 720th Ordnance Disposal Company who are capable of safely removing old-explosive remnants of war and providing support to Kosovo Police, the KSF, and other local organizations in the removal of explosive ordnance, said 1st. Lt. Michael Villahermosa, TF EOD commander.

“Anytime we are able to remove explosives from Kosovo is a great feeling because it means the people of Kosovo can go about their daily lives as usual,” said Villahermosa. “We are excited to be here and look forward to supporting the people of Kosovo and local organizations.”

KFOR RC-E also utilizes personnel to communicate RC-E operations and initiatives through the dissemination of public information.

“Not only do we owe it to the American public to tell our story, but it is especially important to provide timely and accurate information during a peace-keeping mission like KFOR,” said Capt. Nadine DeMoura, commander of KFOR RC-E’s task force public affairs detachment. “We are the subject matter experts in providing command information internally, public information externally and building community relationships.”

TF PAD, who is organic to the 100th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment Texas Army National Guard, primarily produces but is not limited to video stories, print stories and photo stories, that capture and highlight the values of the KFOR RC-E mission and distribute those products to the American public, our NATO partners and the people of Kosovo, said DeMoura.

KFOR RC-E personnel like EOD and PAD Soldiers are based in Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo, where they have access to outpatient medical care staffed by RC-E’s task force medical, a Role 1military medical facility responsible for the health and protection of all RC-E personnel.

TF MED is made up of 38 Soldiers from various U.S. Army active and non-active units, said Capt. Adam Eichhorn, the executive officer of TF MED.

“We have capabilities in emergency care, primary care, behavioral health, dentistry, physical therapy, radiology, labs, pharmacy, preventative medicine and even have a veterinary team” said Eichhorn. “We are primarily responsible for the health and protection of our RC-E troops and also collaborate with Kosovo humanitarian programs and schools to share our knowledge with the people of Kosovo.”

Also a part of TF MED are the UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter medical-evacuation personnel who are organic to the Tennessee Army National Guard and are a part of KFOR RC-E’s task force aviation.

TF Aviation is also made up of other Blackhawk pilots and support personnel from the Colorado Army National Guard and the Maryland Army National Guard, said Lt. Col. Ken Walsh, commander of TF Aviation.

“We are ready and capable to provide support in any way we can,” said Walsh. “Whether that is by providing air transport to our KFOR troops, conducting medical evacuation missions, training with our KFOR and NATO partners and more.”

“We are highly motivated, highly capable and proud of our mission,” said Walsh.

Another source of support and protection of RC-E personnel is task force military police.

TF MP is comprised of a provost marshal from the ORARNG 41st IBCT, a team from the 100th Military Working Dog Police Detachment in Kaiserlautern,Germany, and the 423rd Military Police Company from the New York Army Reserve, said 1st. Lt. Kasiym Bethea, TF MP commander.

“Our Soldiers are civilian police officers, fire fighters, and emergency medical technicians, among other varying backgrounds, in New York, Maryland and surrounding areas,” said Bethea. “We have many military policing capabilities and are well trained and equipped to provide force protection to all RC-E personnel.

KFOR RC-E is operating as the 27th iteration of support units and task forces supporting Kosovo since NATO’s establishment of KFOR in 1999, now commanded by Col. RIley.

“KFOR 27 will continue to strengthen the legacy of strong partnerships with our NATO partners and the people and institutions of Kosovo,” said Riley. “Supporting the people and institutions of Kosovo in maintaining peaceful and stable communities is a touchstone of our mission.”