2nd Lt. Csilla Egyed, a liaison monitoring team platoon leader assigned to the Civil-Military Cooperation and Psychological Operation Center, Hungarian Defense Forces, speaks with a director of education at Camp Film City, Kosovo, on Dec. 9, 2020. Despite COVID-19 restrictions, the LMTs assigned to the NATO led Kosovo Force, Regional Command-East, have continued to build relationships with institutions in Kosovo. Outreach to local communities is essential to the KFOR mission of ensuring a safe and secure environment for all the people in Kosovo. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Jonathan Perdelwitz)

CAMP FILM CITY, Kosovo— 2nd Lt. Csilla Egyed, a team leader assigned to the Civil-Military Cooperation and Psychological Operation Center, Hungarian Defense Forces, led a phone conversation with a director of education at Camp Film City, Kosovo, on Dec. 9, 2020.

Despite COVID-19 restrictions, the liaison monitoring team Egyed leads continues to build relationships with community leaders. Outreach to surrounding communities is essential to the Kosovo Force mission of ensuring a safe and secure environment for all people in Kosovo.

However, while in-person contact is ideal for building relationships, it isn’t always feasible in the midst of a global pandemic.

“We switched to the phone engagements,” said Lt. Karoly Kovacs, the Hungarian LMT commander at Camp Film City. “We prepare the questions. After that, we send the questions to our interpreter. We can call directly to our contacts and run a meeting that way.”

Egyed said a big part of their job is reaching out to local institutions and helping to foster a stronger connection between them and their communities. While movement restrictions have presented challenges, her team has adapted to the new environment and doesn’t let communication barriers stop them from completing their mission. Phone calls and virtual meetings conducted with interpreters continue to facilitate an atmosphere of understanding and cooperation.