CAMP BONDSTEEL, Kosovo--Kosovo youth closed their books and took a break from school work to spend the day on Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo, with U.S. Army Soldiers from the Multinational Battle Group-East Sept. 11, 2016.
During the day-long visit, more than 30 students from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) preparation course ate breakfast, toured helicopter hangars and even sat in the pilot and crew chief seats of a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter.
The Kosovo Force mission typically focuses on providing a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement for the local Kosovars through military means. For more than eight years the TOEFL program has served as a way for KFOR Soldiers to have a positive influence on the Kosovo youth.
The visit served as a reward for six months of hard work and dedication to learning the English language and allowed the Arizona National Guard Soldiers from the 2nd Assault Helicopter Battalion, 285th Aviation Regiment, to cement their ongoing partnership with the students.
"The purpose of the event was multifold," said Capt. Travis Nielsen, event coordinator. "We allowed the students to practice the English language in an informal setting, we rewarded the students for their hard work studying and practicing, and we allowed our Soldiers to volunteer and enjoy a fun, relaxing day with the students."
The visit to Camp Bondsteel was a first for many of the students and offered a chance to better understand the life as a Soldier in Kosovo.
"For us students it has been really cool," said Lorent Mustafa, a high school senior. "What I like the most is that the Soldiers are always doing something physical; they are always running or doing some kind of physical activity and I like that."
While getting familiar with the UH-60 Black Hawk, Mustafa said he admired the U.S. Soldiers and is thankful for the relationship they have built over the past six months.
"[The Soldiers] are really friendly to us and they treat us really good," said Mustafa. "For the Soldiers this kind of thing may not seem like much but for us it is really cool and is really a great experience."
Although they are the students, Mustafa and his classmates have also done some teaching of their own.
"I think there are many benefits, we as volunteers get from being with the students," said Nielsen. "The students provide us with more intimate knowledge of Kosovo in general, particularly from a local perspective. Learning about their culture and their unique world-views has been a valuable experience for us. We feel like we are making a small difference and contributing to the Kosovo Force mission."
Despite the day being filled with fun and games, the citizen Soldiers and Kosovar students will get back to the books quickly as they prepare for their official language test next month.
Regardless of whether the students pass or fail, Nielsen said the life-lessons they have learned from each other are enough to make the program a success, although he said from what he witnessed he believes the students are more than prepared.
Nielsen added the relationship doesn't end with passing the test and instead said his unit will remain partnered with the TOEFL until they hand it off to the next KFOR rotation.
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