Jim's All Expenses Paid Trip To Kosovo

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2008-08-19T16:43:00.003+02:00

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Home

2006-03-20T22:08:00.000+01:00

I should have posted this long ago: I'm home.

As evidenced by my lack of posting, the remainder of my time in Kosovo went quickly and came to a close January 27th. After two weeks of demobilization activities at Fort Lewis we returned to Topeka for a brief welcome home ceremony and were turned loose to our families.

KFOR 7 is well into their tour and doing good things. I'm sure my replacement is overworked, but doing a great job - he already exceeded KFOR 6B's record for MEDCAP attendance.

For those interested in current events with Task Force Falcon, MNB-E, KFOR, and Kosovo go to http://www.tffalcon.hqusareur.army.mil/index.html to read the Guardian Magazine, view the Guardian Video and browse the Photo Gallery.

I don't have any plans to continue this blog and don't know how long Blogger.com will keep it around without activity. (At least 6 months based on my previous lack of activity.)

September MEDCAP

2005-09-27T22:08:00.000+02:00

Earlier in September we conducted our first airlift MEDCAP to a remote village. To my knowledge, it's the most remote MEDCAP ever conducted by a task force based at Camp Bondsteel. The village was so small, there were no facilities to use so we brought our own shelters and furniture. It was another success in working with local professionals and providing care to those who most need it.

KFOR And TMK Helped Inhabitants Of Mountainous Village Çelik
16 Sep (Bota Sot) - On the framework of the joint activities and engagements of American KFOR, Tornado Battalion that is responsible for the security in Viti, and the 363rd TMK Brigade in Viti, in Village Çelik, in the zone of Karadak Mountains, the doctors of the American KFOR and the doctors of 40th medical battalion of TMK visited the inhabitants of this village and provided them with free medical care.

This medical visit that included general checkups of different medical nature has been made by two KFOR doctors, three doctors of the 40th TMK medical battalion, one doctor of health clinic in Viti, two doctors of the health care system in Zhegra and two pharmacists from the TMK, said for "Bota Sot", Colonel Mathew Raney.

other weblogs

2005-08-25T16:38:00.000+02:00

Wow... more than a month has gone by since I last posted. I'm going to take the easy way out by sharing links to some other weblogs from Kosovo and KFOR:

....one missionary in Kosovo - comments from a missionary - unrelated to KFOR

Muscatine Kosovo Project - I went to their concert earlier this month

SGT Bender's Hole & Another Day in Paradise - some good pictures

Way Down In Kosovo - interesting experiences and commentary

July MEDCAP

2005-07-06T03:38:00.000+02:00

Last weekend we conducted the first-ever MEDCAP in Pozaranje. Actually it was a DENTCAP/OPTCAP where we planned on only providing dental and optometry services. The KPC showed up with a doctor and medical team, so we ended up giving them a room to do medical care. We saw 197 people, gave 150 eye exams and 50 dental exams. In a typical MEDCAP we see more people, but an optometry exam requires more time than a doctor visit.

The school in Pozaranje

Dr. Bashkim giving a dental exam.

Me with a reporter from Bota Sot, Dr. Bashkim and the Pozaranje mayor.

A group of kids.

The KPC medical team.

Bulgaria

2005-06-24T22:05:00.000+02:00

Earlier this month I got a 4-day pass to Bulgaria where I could meet Patricia.

Sofia from our hotel room

The domes on the Alexander Nevsky cathedral

Patricia shopping in the street market.

Signs in Cyrillic. We had a really good map, but it had Latin characters while the street signs were in Cyrillic which made it difficult to get around.

Just before saying goodbye.

June MEDCAP

2005-06-24T21:15:00.000+02:00

This month's MEDCAP was a little different. We focused only on providing medical services (no dental, optometry or veterinarian services). It worked out well - we were able to see 298 people without overloading any part of the system.

The school was in a rural community full of very friendly people.

Me and my NCO at the entrance of the school

The KPC providing registration and screening services.

A local doctor providing care.

A KFOR doctor providing care.

In a positive change from previous MEDCAPs, a KFOR doctor stepped back and supervised 3 medics while they took care of the people from the community. Here, one of my medics checks on the health of a child.

At the end of the day, I noticed there was a manageable amount of litter in the school yard and a lot of people available to pick it up. Once the kids caught on, everything was cleaned up quickly.

Kosovo Radio

2005-06-13T20:36:00.000+02:00

I've added a link to the right side for Radio Pozheran. Click on the "Live" button to listen to Kosovo radio. A few leaders of the task force have radio shows at this station. There are regular power outages that delay the shows, and I still haven't been able to catch one over the internet but it's still worth a try. Friday nights sometime between 9pm and 11pm Kosovo time is the most regular show.

Uniforms

2005-06-13T20:22:00.000+02:00

During the Lourdes pilgrimage, I met soldiers from around the world. Their dress uniforms were sometimes similar to ours, but often more elaborate and historic. Here are a few:

Lourdes France

2005-06-12T20:08:00.000+02:00

Last month I had the opportunity to go to the 47th International Military Piligrimage in Lourdes France. Countries from around the world represented themselves and KFOR sent a contingent to represent NATO. I was one of 85 people from 17 nations (Argentina, Austria, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United States and France) that contribute to KFOR. The Ukrainian public affairs department was there to document the trip for NATO. For a week a youth camp became a military camp where most countries stayed in tents and shared dining facilities and bathrooms. The first hot days of summer occurred while we paraded in uniform and sought shelter in the shade. The French military did a great job coordinating transportation, housing and food for thousands of soldiers.

The entrance to the military camp:

The KFOR camp:

Inside the tent:

The view from the camp.

The Lourdes tourist shops:

The grotto where Bernadette saw the Virgin Mary:

A cross on a dome of the Lourdes Basilica

Lourdes from the castle:

The owner of a tourist shop. He was friendly to US KFOR soldiers and was proud of his son being a NYC policeman. He pointed out the that the flag above his right shoulder flew at Normandy during WWII.

Touring:

Relaxing:

Preparing for a parade

The opening ceremony for the military pilgrimage

After the ceremony completed, the military bands paraded through the streets of Lourdes

We brought some extra patches to trade with other soldiers, but couldn't say no to the kids that wanted an American flag.

The streets were crowded with tourists and shoppers.

The castle after dark:

Even at midnight, there were lines at the faucets to fill containers with water from the spring at the grotto.

Breakfast with a cadet of the French military academy "St Cyr" (More information in English)

The candlelight procession

The US color guard casing the colors after the closing ceremony

Softball

2005-05-23T16:44:00.000+02:00

It's not all work here. This weekend Tornado took first place in a softball tournament:

May MEDCAP

2005-05-20T20:25:00.000+02:00

Our latest MEDCAP was a big success. We saw 344 people, had a helicopter display for the public, had a local television station do a story on us, hosted an embedded reporter and showed the medical teams from a couple of other task forces how to do a MEDCAP.

Here are some of my medics with members of the Kosovo Protection Corps that helped do patient registration.

One of the many kids we saw that day:

Germany trip

2005-05-12T20:16:00.000+02:00

Last month I had the chance to go to Germany for a class. What would be the most adventurous thing to do in a country with stretches of roads with no speed limit? Firmly buckled in with airbags at the ready I captured our token 'go fast moment'. Apparently while I was sleeping a better record was set.

On the way to the class we had a chance to stop at the castle in Heidelberg. The weather wasn't the greatest but it was a nice non-Army experience.

Big Duke

2005-04-16T15:34:00.000+02:00

Here's a shot of Big Duke with Mogila in the foreground and Vitina in the distance.

Turkish Coffee

2005-04-16T14:54:00.000+02:00

I think I've mentioned coffee a few times before but not elaborated on it. The coffee shops serve the usual capuccino and mocha type drinks. The clinics we stop at serve Turkish Coffee. It's a very thick drink that leaves a sludge in the bottom of the cup. Even with the bad focus in this picture you can see the coffee grounds sliding off the bottom of the cup. Just like with tea leaves, I've heard rumors some can read your fortune in the coffee grounds.

Letnica MEDCAP

2005-04-15T19:19:00.000+02:00

Sorry for the lack of postings recently. I've been putting some time into the TF Tornado weblog and have started working on the next MEDCAP. To catch up, here's info from the previous MEDCAP:

On April 3rd we conducted our first Medical Civil Assistance Program (MEDCAP). About 60 people from Task Force Tornado and Task Force Med went to the school in Letnica to provide basic medical, pharmacy, dental, optometry, and preventive medicine services. The Vitina Health House provided 8 doctors and a dentist. With the large staff and hard work of everyone we were able to see 217 people in four hours. The dentist pulled 56 teeth on 45 people. The optometrist gave 78 exams and provided glasses to improve the vision of most.

This is the medical operations NCO and myself in front of the school.

Some kids in the schoolyard

The doctors from the Vitina Health House

This is Dr Fadil. He's the most social of the doctors we've worked with and it's nearly impossible to turn him down when he invites us in for coffee. He's quick with a joke and is always glad to see us. As a student I expect he was the troublemaker that was smooth enough to get away without punishment for the mischief he got caught at.

After clearing the school and calling back to Camp Bondsteel, we head back down the hill to line up for the return trip.

The Tornado medics at the completion of the MEDCAP

Gnjilane hospital trip

2005-03-07T19:39:00.000+01:00

I've been working with the commander of the Camp Bondsteel hospital to let him know what I'm learning about the clinics in my municipality. He's been pretty supportive and invited me to a meeting with the Gnjilane Regional Hospital Administrator. It was snowing pretty heavily this morning so we got a late start. After a long meeting, the hospital administrator invited us to stay for lunch. We met him at Restaurant Bujana. The building has a castle's architecture on the outside and is decorated with the same theme inside. The menu was generic restaurant food though... pizza, burgers, salads, steak, chicken & fish.

After lunch we went back to the Gnjilane hospital for a tour. The dialysis clinic was the highlight. The patients were talkative and the staff was proud of their work.

Back to Letnica

2005-03-07T19:31:00.001+01:00

Last week I had a chance to go back to Letnica, the place I visited my first day here. This time it was with the lieutenant who 'owns' the village so I got to see how he does business and meet some new people. He took me to the top of a hill that overlooks Letnica to see another village. This is the view back down into the valley. (Towards the right is the Church of the Black Madonna)

On the way back down the hill we walked past a few buildings along a river that took advantage of the water power.

This man came out of the building in the previous picture and invited us in. He demonstrated how he ground grain using a mill powered by the water that flows below his shop. (I couldn't get a better picture with all the dust floating in the room.)

On the way back we stopped at the coffee shop we always stop at. The coffee shop owner is very friendly and a lot of fun to talk to, but in every picture he looks depressed. The picture above my head is of Gjergj Kastrioti. He's a heroic warrior from the 1400's who defended Christianity from the Muslims. The Albanians still consider him a hero even though they themselves have now converted to Islam. ***EDIT: The Kastrioti information I published above was told to me by an Albanian Kosovar. I didn't double-check the facts and have periodically been receiving comments that support or conflict with what I printed. I didn't intentionally print anything false and appreciate the feedback. However the comments below should provide more resources for you to learn more. I will be closing the comments at this time. Thanks. END OF EDIT***

February 23

2005-02-25T20:06:00.000+01:00

I make regular visits to the hospital in Vitina and the clinics in the area. This day was the nicest we have had yet. The snow melted, the sun came out and it warmed up nicely. The good weather combined with the market day in Pozaranje made for some crowded streets.

Two characteristics of homes and businesses are that they never seem to be finished buildings and they have grand stairs without hand rails for entrances.

The roads and streets are filled with every form of transportation - large trucks and expensive luxury cars down to lawnmower engine powered contraptions (affectionately known by KFOR as Kosovo Harleys) and horsedrawn wagons.

This is "Big Duke", the view from Camp Bondsteel. I imagine I'll spend many months trying to get the perfect picture.

MEDCAP part 2

2005-02-25T20:01:00.000+01:00

More pictures from Feb 11...

Another home

A sunbathing beauty

A spring. Klokot was named for the sound the water makes when it bubbles to the surface. The dominant industries are related to water. Not far from here is a spa where they claim the water heals and a water bottling plant. In the field just out of view to the left is a natural pool where residents come to bathe. Those that don't have water in their homes come here with plastic bottles to fill. I'm told that when the snow melts I'll see a lot of garbage. In this area there were a lot of old plasic bottles littered around.

A pig rooting through the garbage near the spring.

A wood shed. Wood is the primary way of heating homes. There's a healthy black-market in cutting wood in Macedonia and selling it in Kosovo.

A hay loft.

Back at the school playground older kids and young men play soccer. The building with three doors in the background is the bathroom - no plumbing inside the school.

The kids' drawings in the school window.

One of the classrooms. Nobody cleared the room out for us to use... this is how it is every day. No books, no computers, no pencils, no paper. According to the documentation I have, this is one of the better schools in our area - only because it has electricity and a good roof.

MEDCAP part 1

2005-02-25T19:52:00.000+01:00

These are pictures I took of the MEDCAP and during a break on February 11th

Most of the kids were pretty friendly but turned aggressive if they thought they could get something from you... candy, food, a pen, clothing, etc. This cute little girl was probably the only well-behaved kid there.

The periodic table of the elements written freehand. I didn't see very many teaching materials. This is one of the few things that was created for use in the classroom.

I met the KFOR medical advisor:

The guy in uniform is a member of the TMK. The TMK is like our National Guard, except they don't have weapons. Their job is to provide services in time of need, so we use them to do patient admin and health screening before patients see a doctor, dentist or optometrist.

My medical operations NCO handing out candy to some kids before they became an unruly mob.

This is in the front hall of the school where a few people could wait to see the doctor. This generation dresses pretty traditionally. The school is heated by a small wood stove in each room. It was so cold out that the building was only slightly warmer than outside.

Despite how cold it was, kids were still running around without jackets, gloves or warm boots... probably because they don't own any.

At the entrance we posted our Red Cross flag. The little kid with me was intent on being in every picture taken.

This house is just across the street from the school. Every once-in-a while an old lady (in a scarf, sweater, skirt, apron and boots) would come out to feed the chickens.

This is down the street from the school. It's common to see corn stalks stacked like this.

A shot further down the street. Everyone seems to have a stone wall of varying quality to define their property. Even the poor looking ones are impressive.

someone's home

Day one in Kosovo

2005-02-25T19:45:00.000+01:00

The morning of my first full day in Kosovo, the outgoing Medical Operations team took me out for an area tour.

This picture is the Medical Operations NCO, translator, Medical Operations Officer. The translator has worked for medical team on the last six rotations and will continue to work with me. She's invaluable with her knowledge of the medical community, past work, and culture.

The school in Klokot where we had our MEDCAP (Medical Civil Assistance Program) on February 11.

This is the Vitina Health House. It's the main clinic in the Vitina Municipality and oversees the rest of the clinics in the municipality. The ambulance was donated by KFOR - it used to be an Air Force ambulance.

This is the third floor hallway in the Health House where the the maternity ward is located.

A toilet in the Health House. I've heard this style referred to as a Roman toilet.

This factory/warehouse is in a remote valley. During the war uniforms were made here.

We stopped for coffee at this cafe in a remote village.

In Klokot we pulled a truck from the ditch.

In Germany

2005-01-17T11:54:00.000+01:00

Everything went well getting from Fort Lewis to Germany. The flight left on time, I got an exit row window seat and slept the whole way. We refueled in Gander Newfoundland before continuing on to Nurnberg.

There's plenty of room in the officer's barracks and contrary to the rumors, the beds have mattresses.

There are enough beds for each of us to claim two, so I've made a little privacy for myself.

Phones and internet service aren't too far away, so I expect to be in regular contact.

HALO guy

2005-01-15T20:43:00.000+01:00

Here's what the defenders in the non-lethal weapons training looked like. Many of the guys have gotten hooked on the X-Box - the HALO-2 game in particular. They got excited when they saw this outfit - they thought it was just like the HALO guy.

non-lethal weapons training

2005-01-15T20:11:00.000+01:00

It's been a busy week getting everyone packed up, finishing training and scheduled for flights. Here's a shot of the pepper-spray training. After taking a shot to the eyes, each soldier had to go to all stations on the perimeter of this training area and perform the specified hand-to-hand combat task. After all stations are complete, then you can wash your eyes.