Kosovo is familiar territory for the Greek 525th Mechanized Infantry Battalion. Between March 2004 and December 2009, the battalion served four six-month rotations in the area around the city of Urosevac/Ferizaj.
Lt. Col. Dimitrios Bountouris commanded the 535th in its most recent Kosovo rotation. He said that the most significant task the battalion accomplished during the rotation was learning how to work closer with the Kosovo Police.
"Our cooperation in missions like joint patrols had as a target the improvement of the relations between KFOR and KP," Bountouris said. "Our cooperation has assisted the people of Kosovo to accept the change in Hellas' KFOR role from a preventive force to a stabilization force . . . it has amplified the presence of KP in our area of responsibility and also the level of communication and cooperation."
The time surrounding Kosovo's regional elections in November provided the battalion with its biggest challenges.
"During that period all the attention and efforts of our unit was focused on the safe and secure conducting of the election procedure, a mission in which we were successful since nothing out of the ordinary occurred and everything went according to plan," Bountouris said.
Bountouris has been an infantry Soldier in the Greek Army since 1988. He said his battalion's rotation in Kosovo provided a unique opportunity to work in a multinational environment.
"Without doubt the best part of the mission was our chance to cooperate with armies of different nations," he said. "From that cooperation we gained knowledge experience as well as exchange of ideas and ways of thinking with our objective always being the improvement of the way to accomplish our missions."
Brig. Gen. Al Dohrmann, commanding general of Multi-National Task Force East, commended Bountouris and the 525th battalion for their work with the other nations of MNTF-E.
"When you and your Soldiers look back at your service in Kosovo, take note of how much was accomplished by your team of professional soldiers working in concert with our international partners," he said.
Bountouris said he will take back many memories of the rotation.
"What our unit has earned from its participation and in this mission is the experience knowledge and friendship that will always remain in our hearts," he said. "Reflecting on the time of our presence in the area and all the activities in which we have taken part I would say that the most difficult task was to win the heart and minds of the people. It wasn't one of our primary objectives but our daily contact with these people made them earn our respect and compassion. And also they helped us in our work which was providing a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement for all citizens regardless their nationality."
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