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Soldiers prepare for Kosovo Force deployment

August 17, 2005

FORT HOOD, Texas (Army News Service, Aug. 17, 2005) – In preparation for their deployment to Kosovo, Soldiers from Headquarters and Headquarters Company participated in close quarter combat training Aug. 10.

Soldiers from Task Force Falcon, Texas National Guard, will join fellow 36th Infantry Division troops, along with 40th ID, in Jan. 2006 for the seventh Kosovo Force rotation.

The KFOR is a NATO-led international force that is responsible for establishing and maintaining security in Kosovo. This peace-enforcement force entered Kosovo on June 12, 1999 under a United Nations mandate. Prior to the establishment of KFOR, Kosovo was facing a grave humanitarian crisis, ethnic tensions were at their highest, and nearly one million people had fled Kosovo to seek refuge.

The Soldiers will be replacing nearly 1,700 National Guard Soldiers from California (40th Infantry Division), Kansas (1st Battalion, 635th Armor; 35th Military Police, and Detachment 1, 24th Medical Company – Air Ambulance) and Pennsylvania (Company C, 1-104th Aviation; 628th Military Intelligence Battalion; and 928th Finance Battalion).

The personnel from TF Falcon have begun training early so they will be prepared to handle themselves in any situation.

“My job is to track people and make sure they train thoroughly,” Capt. Todd Moe, unit assister, 2nd Brigade, 75th Division, Fort Sam Houston, Texas. As a UA, Moe said he must make sure the training happens as planned.

Ninety Soldiers participated in this exercise, which is in a ‘crawl, walk, run’ sequence, Moe explained. Before moving forward to the next portion of the exercise, each Soldier must complete the preceding steps comfortably and correctly.

“First the Soldiers train in ‘tape drills’, then ‘box drills’ and eventually they’ll fire live rounds in the ‘tire house’,” Moe said. The ‘tire house’ is an urban-style training building with rubber material along the walls to absorb gun-fire, he explained.

Moe said the training was meant to familiarize the Soldiers with team movement and how to clear rooms and buildings.

Before this exercise, the Soldiers trained in short range marksmanship, he said, which went very well.

Maj. Jose Rivera, commander, HHC, TF Falcon, 36th Infantry Division, said, this training was an opportunity for Soldiers to train together and practice vital, basic infantry skills.

Rivera kept several goals of achievement in mind during the exercise, he said.

“I wanted the Soldiers to have and be exposed to the basic skills we’re using in theater,” said Rivera. “I wanted them to be prepared for deployment.”

(Editor’s Note: Story by Pfc. Christina Vanyo, 4th Public Affairs Detachment.)