CAMP BONDSTEEL, Kosovo - U.S. Service members supporting NATO's peacekeeping mission in Kosovo represent the military force that America needs today, said the chief of the National Guard Bureau during a visit Nov. 24 with troops stationed at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo.
U.S. Army Gen. Frank J. Grass and his senior enlisted adviser, U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Mitchell O. Brush, held a town hall meeting with more than 200 U.S. Soldiers during a Balkans visit that also included official meetings with Kosovo's president and defense minister.
American and multinational Soldiers, who serve as part of NATO's Kosovo Force, or KFOR, mission, have earned the respect of Kosovo's senior officials through their professionalism and dedication to the mission, Grass said.
"Kosovo is a place that has been successful in bringing about peace," said Grass, emphasizing the importance of America's regional presence and engagement with its NATO partners.
The U.S. troops represent one of 33 nations serving on KFOR's 20th rotation of forces since 1999, with a mission to ensure safety, security and freedom of movement for the people of Kosovo.
A primarily reserve-component force of U.S. Soldiers make up KFOR's Multinational Battle Group-East, or MNBG-E, which is led by the North Carolina Army National Guard's 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team, or ABCT, headquarters. Known as"Old Hickory" and based out of Clinton, North Carolina, this is the 30th ABCT's third deployment since 9/11.
In Kosovo, MNBG-E's approximately 750 U.S. Citizen-Soldiers, from Alabama, California, Connecticut, Florida, Maryland, Texas, West Virginia and Puerto Rico, serve alongside more than 700 troops from Armenia, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia and Turkey.
Grass paid special recognition to the multinational forces in the audience who are valuable participants in the National Guard's State Partnership Program, such as Polish soldiers' ongoing partnership with the Illinois National Guard.
Through the State Partnership Program, 76 countries are training and deploying alongside National Guard service members, he said.
In MNBG-E's efforts to support the State Partnership Program, U.S. forces in KFOR have also worked to support Iowa's partnership with Kosovo and North Carolina's partnership with Moldova.
The National Guard will have more chances to serve in Europe and across the globe in the coming years, Grass said.
"Europe is going to open up some opportunities, with our friends from Romania, Poland, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania - all of our NATO partners," Grass said."We want to exercise together."
For example, Air National Guard jets are serving on 90-day rotations with U.S. partners in Europe, he added.
Predictability is a key part of the guard's ability to deploy and continue building partnerships, without having a huge impact on Families and employers, Grass said.
The National Guard is a"great buy" in today's resource reality because of its role in America's warfighting, homeland defense and partnerships at home and abroad, Grass said.
"[The National Guard] provides trained and ready combat forces," to include the KFOR peacekeeping force sitting before him, Grass said."You leave your jobs, you leave your Families, and launch and execute a mission. That's what you're doing now."
"We're such a small amount of the total budget," Grass said, highlighting that approximately 455,000 Service members, who make up the Army and Air National Guard-with about 11,600 deployed overseas and 5,000 supporting homeland missions in the United States.
Upon their return to their home states this spring, KFOR's National Guard Soldiers will be prepared to serve on state active duty when necessary. These homeland missions are highlighted by more than 4,000 Service members, who recently served in South Carolina in response to flooding in the region, as well as those who fight fires in the western United States.
"That's a deployment," Grass said, comparing domestic and overseas military service."You leave your home, you leave your Family in the middle of the night at a moment's notice, to go take care of American citizens."
Just as the U.S. military is building partnerships across the globe, National Guard Service members are building partnerships with neighbors, leaders and first responders in their home communities, which enhances their ability to make things happen in times of crisis.
"We have a population that expects someone to be there to help," Grass said,"and there's also a high expectation of the National Guard and Reserve that we will be there to help the active-duty force."
The general's audience ranged from 20-year-old rookies to seasoned veterans with as many as six overseas deployments and 21 home-state activations.
"You are such a small percent of the population that's serving in uniform today - it's definitely less than 1 percent if you total up all the active, guard and reserve," he said."You are part of that best part of our population that has stepped up to the challenge of serving."
The National Guard's senior noncommissioned officer told the audience that visiting troops during the holidays was just another way that he gets to spend time with his military Family.
"The holidays are going to come and they're going to go, but you need to stay focused, stay engaged and communicate," Brush said, encouraging the Service members to take care of one another through the holidays.
Brush told the Soldiers to stay sharp and focused during the mission, and that KFOR brings attention and visibility to the National Guard.
"Take care of yourselves ... take care of your families ... and take care of your future," Brush said."Leave this place in better shape than you got it, and pass it on to the next group."
Grass also asked each Soldier to thank their families and employers back home for their support throughout this holiday season.
"It's a tough time to be away from your Family, no doubt about it," Grass said."It's hard to be away from your loved ones, but take care of each other-look out for each other during this time."
"To make that leap to join the military, and them make that next leap to deploy - you are the best of the best of what we have in the National Guard," Grass said."Thank you for what you do."