KFOR troops participate in Estonian-sponsored night march

By SGT Jesica GeffreJanuary 19, 2010

KFOR troops participate in Estonian-sponsored night march
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

Members of Multi-National Task Force East recently participated in a ruck march sponsored by the Estonian Contingency here.

The march was 10 kilometers (about six miles) through the mountainous area around Mitrovica and Camp Olaf Rye in northern Kosovo. It began at 5 p.m. Sunday evening.

Seven U.S. Soldiers from MNTF-E embarked on the march with other multinational KFOR servicemembers. The U.S. marchers are listed here in alphabetical order: Sgt. 1st Class Russell Garrett, Pick City, N.D.; Sgt. Jesica Geffre, Bismarck, N.D.; Cpl. Kyle LeClair, Clarkston, Mich.; Sgt. 1st Class Michael Maples, Lincoln, N.D.; Spc. Jennifer Montgomery, Fargo, N.D.; Sgt. Richard Soto, Phoenix, Ariz.; Capt. Richard Szabo, Alexandria,Va.; and Sgt. 1st Class Jason Turner, Watertown, Minn.

Participants on the march had to carry 10 kilograms (roughly 22 pounds) of weight on their person. The march started and ended in the dark.

"That definitely made it interesting!" Montgomery said. She has participated in one previous march in Kosovo but felt this one was more difficult because it had all the challenging elements of the preceding march, such as mud, steep hills, rocks, but also the added factor of limited visibility.

"At one point, you could hear fast-flowing, running water but you couldn't see it," said Garrett. "That makes it a little more intense."

To help with visibility, some Soldiers taped reflective material to their ankles and packs. Others carried "chem lights" or flashlights, and several really high-speed troops had head-mounted flashlights.

In addition to U.S. and Estonian troops, other NATO countries participated, such as France, Switzerland and Denmark.

"These marches are a great way to interact with other nations while reinforcing basic Soldier skills," Maples said.

Maples also participated in the Danish Contingency (DANCON) march that took place in the same area in November. He learned some tough lessons, having to deal with severely blistered feet after the 25-kilometer DANCON march, through steep, mountainous terrain.

"Never tape the top part of your feet when you still have a few miles to ruck," Maples advises. "My skin peeled right off with the tape, it wasn't pretty."

Maples plans to attend future ruck marches because he believes they are a great way to test endurance as well as spend time out in nature, all while building multinational friendships among fellow KFOR servicemembers.

Multi-National Task Force - East is a U.S. led task force commanded by Brig. Gen. Al Dohrmann. This task force is comprised of nearly 2,200 Soldiers, including Task Force Hellas and Task Force POL/UKR (Polish/Ukraine). The charter mission of MNTF-E is maintaining a Safe and Secure Environment and providing Freedom of Movement for the people in Kosovo.

Please contact the MNTF-E Public Affairs office for media engagements or to follow-up on this information.