LEPOSAVIC, Kosovo - Turkish Army forces turned over security
responsibilities at Camp Nothing Hill to U.S. Soldiers of Multinational
Battle Group East during a hand-over take-over ceremony April 26.
The U.S. Soldiers are scheduled to spend the next four weeks at Camp Nothing
Hill. They have taken over responsibilities as the area's Quick Reaction
Force, a unit capable of responding to a situation in less than an hour. The
U.S. Soldiers will also conduct patrols in neighboring cities and the
surrounding area.
"We did some useful training at (Camp) Atterbury which helped us with this
mission," said 1st Sgt. Christopher Rath of the North Dakota National Guard.
"We are definitely prepared and looking forward to this opportunity."
Rath said the transition with the Turkish Soldiers went smoothly and he has
confidence in the U.S.
contingent's ability to accomplish their duties, working well with
multinational partners.
"We are excited about this mission," said 1st Lt. Jarrod Simek, a North
Dakota Guardsman and commander of the U.S. contingent at Nothing Hill,
adding that his Soldiers have had plenty of good training on scenarios, such
as crowd and riot control and force protection.
He said his Soldiers also act as a third responder in the rare event of any
hostile actions.
KFOR units rotate to Camp Nothing Hill at regular intervals to support
security in northern Kosovo. Hungarian forces are scheduled to relieve the
U.S. Soldiers on the next rotation.
"I am really proud of the Soldiers at Camp Nothing Hill," said Simek's boss,
Lt. Col. Lee Nordin of the North Dakota Guard. "They have done a great job
on every mission and I have every reason to believe they will be just as
successful in completing this one."
Also in attendance at the ceremony was Brig. Gen. Al Dohrmann, commander of
MNBG-E, Col. Robert Fode, deputy commander-Maneuver for MNBG-E, and Command
Sgt. Maj. Jack W. Cripe, MNBG-E's top enlisted Soldier, all of the North
Dakota National Guard.