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Oregon Army National Guard 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team Maj. Chad Plaisted delivers donated supplies to an underserved primary school Oct. 6, 2020, in Bivolak/Bivoljak, Kosovo. Some months before the donation Plaisted, alongside fellow Kosovo Force troops, participated in a group cleanup at the school where he noticed the students’ lack of services and supplies. “I asked my wife to reach out via social media to friends and family in the U.S. to offer an opportunity to donate supplies to the school,” said Plaisted. “Many obliged and mailed nearly a dozen boxes of supplies to our U.S. camp in Kosovo. I and other Soldiers delivered those supplies to very deserving children today.” The NATO-led KFOR mission has been one of peacekeeping and ensuring the safety and security of all Kosovo community members since 1999. Plaisted and other 41st IBCT Soldiers have been deployed in Kosovo since the beginning of 2020 as members of the U.S.-led brigade-level KFOR Regional-Command East.
(Photo Credit: Spc. Miguel Ruiz)VIEW ORIGINAL2 / 5Show Caption +Hide Caption –
Oregon Army National Guard 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team 1st Lt. Heidi Gross visits a primary school Oct. 6, 2020, in Bivolak/Bivoljak, Kosovo. Gross is a member of the NATO-led Kosovo Force mission in Kosovo and is charged with ensuring the safety and security of all Kosovo community members. Gross and other KFOR members delivered an array of donated school supplies to the school in Bivolak/Bivoljak which struggles to receive local government funding for student’s supplies and facilities. The donation was coordinated by the 41st IBCT’s Maj. Chad Plaisted, a planning officer within the KFOR Regional-Command East. “This has been a humbling experience for everyone involved in this donation,” said Plaisted. “These children are enthusiastic about learning, are very deserving, and I hope today’s donation inspires more giving in the future.” Gross, Plaisted and other 41st IBCT Soldiers have been deployed in Kosovo since the beginning of 2020 as members of the U.S.-led brigade-level KFOR RC-E.
(Photo Credit: Spc. Miguel Ruiz)VIEW ORIGINAL3 / 5Show Caption +Hide Caption –
A primary school student receives donated school supplies Oct. 6, 2020, in Bivolak/Bivoljak, Kosovo. Kosovo Force Regional-Command East planning officer, Maj. Chad Plaisted, organic to the Oregon Army National Guard’s 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, led the effort to gather the generous array of school supplies ranging from notebooks to arts and craft materials and other school-house necessities. Some months before the donation Plaisted, alongside other peacekeeping-KFOR troops, participated in a group cleanup at the school where he noticed the students’ lack of services and supplies. “I asked my wife to reach out via social media to friends and family in the U.S. to offer an opportunity to donate supplies to the school,” said Plaisted. “Many obliged and mailed nearly a dozen boxes of supplies to our U.S. camp in Kosovo. I and other Soldiers delivered those supplies to very deserving children today.” Plaisted and other 41st IBCT Soldiers have been deployed in Kosovo since the beginning of 2020 as members of the U.S.-led brigade-level KFOR RC-E which is charged with ensuring the safety and security and freedom of movement for all the people in Kosovo.
(Photo Credit: Spc. Miguel Ruiz)VIEW ORIGINAL4 / 5Show Caption +Hide Caption –
Oregon Army National Guard 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team 1st Lt. Heidi Gross visits a primary school Oct. 6, 2020, in Bivolak/Bivoljak, Kosovo. Gross is a member of the NATO-led Kosovo Force mission in Kosovo and is charged with ensuring the safety and security of all Kosovo community members. Gross and other KFOR members delivered an array of donated school supplies to the school in Bivolak/Bivoljak which struggles to receive local government funding for student’s supplies and facilities. The donation was coordinated by the 41st IBCT’s Maj. Chad Plaisted, a planning officer within the KFOR Regional-Command East. “This has been a humbling experience for everyone involved in this donation,” said Plaisted. “These children are enthusiastic about learning, are very deserving, and I hope today’s donation inspires more giving in the future.” Gross, Plaisted and other 41st IBCT Soldiers have been deployed in Kosovo since the beginning of 2020 as members of the U.S.-led brigade-level KFOR RC-E.
(Photo Credit: Spc. Miguel Ruiz)VIEW ORIGINAL5 / 5Show Caption +Hide Caption –
Members of the NATO-led Kosovo Force mission meet with a primary school director Oct. 6, 2020, in Bivolak/Bivoljak, Kosovo. The KFOR troops delivered school supplies to an underserved school in Bivolak/Bivoljak that struggles to attain local government funding for student’s supplies and facilities. KFOR’s Regional Command East planning officer, Maj. Chad Plaisted, organic to the Oregon Army National Guard’s 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, led the effort to gather the generous array of school supplies ranging from notebooks to arts and craft materials and other school-house necessities. Some months before the donation Plaisted, alongside other peacekeeping-KFOR troops, participated in a group cleanup at the school where he noticed the students’ lack of services and supplies. “I asked my wife to reach out via social media to friends and family in the U.S. to offer an opportunity to donate supplies to the school,” said Plaisted. “Many obliged and mailed nearly a dozen boxes of supplies to our U.S. camp in Kosovo. I and other Soldiers delivered those supplies to very deserving children today.” Plaisted and other 41st IBCT Soldiers have been deployed in Kosovo since the beginning of 2020 as members of the U.S.-led brigade-level KFOR RC-E which is charged with ensuring the safety and security and freedom of movement for all the people in Kosovo.
(Photo Credit: Spc. Miguel Ruiz)VIEW ORIGINAL
BIVOLAK/BIVOLJAK, Kosovo - Kosovo Force troops donated school supplies to an underserved primary school Oct. 6.
KFOR’s Regional-Command East planning officer, Maj. Chad Plaisted, organic to the Oregon Army National Guard’s 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, led the effort to gather the generous array of school supplies ranging from notebooks to arts and craft materials and other school-house necessities.
Some months before the donation Plaisted, alongside other peacekeeping-KFOR troops, participated in a group cleanup at the school where he noticed the students’ lack of services and supplies.
“I asked my wife to reach out via social media to friends and family in the U.S. to offer an opportunity to donate supplies to the school,” said Plaisted. “Many obliged and mailed nearly a dozen boxes of supplies to our U.S. camp in Kosovo.”
“Me and other Soldiers delivered those supplies to very deserving children today,” he added.
Lavdim Klinaku, the primary school’s director, said that the school, which caters to first through fourth-grade students, is often overlooked by local government funding due to a low student enrollment count.
“There are less than 100 students at this school and basic supplies can be difficult to acquire,” said Klinaku. “We are very thankful to all involved in donating these supplies. It means very much to our students and their families.”
The municipality surrounding the school, Bivolak/Bivoljak, is only a 30 minute car ride from Kosovo’s capital city Pristina but is significantly less populated, lacking in quality infrastructure and is noticeably neglected.
Slovenian Armed Forces Sgt. 1st Class Iztok Kosi is a team leader within one of KFOR’s liaison monitoring teams whose mission centers around communities like Bivolak/Bivoljak.
Kosi said he and his LMT members meet with community leaders like school director Klinaku, government officials, or religious leaders on a daily basis in order to foster positive relationships between KFOR personnel and community members.
“We facilitate two-way communication while advocating for the needs of the communities in which we operate,” said Kosi. “Through KFOR donations, meeting with community members or other community-outreach events we aim to help these communities as best we can.”
Since its establishment in 1999 KFOR’s mission has been one of peacekeeping and ensuring the safety and security for Kosovo’s community members while supporting their government institution's developmental initiatives in education, economy, and healthcare among others.
“This has been a humbling experience for everyone involved in this donation,” said Plaisted. “These children are enthusiastic about learning, are very deserving, and I hope today’s donation inspires more giving in the future.”
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