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Before Missouri Army National Guard Specialist Greg Brown of Independence left for a year-long deployment to Kosovo, he admits he took certain life liberties for granted.
Now that Brown and nearly 1,000 other citizen-soldiers, including Brown’s father Larry, from units across the state are back home, he has a better prospective after serving a United Nations peacekeeping mission in the war-torn republic.
“It was amazing to see how they can survive on very little money and very little belongings and still were happy,” said Brown, who was among 86 citizen-soldiers of Delta Battery, 1-129th Field Artillery Battalion welcomed home Tuesday at the Independence Armory, 2323 South Crysler Road. “I know before I left, I took a lot of things for granted, but now...”
The soldiers were part of Kosovo Force 10 and Multi National Task Force - East, which included soldiers from nine other states and the countries of Armenia, Greece, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Ukraine. Delta Battery was mainly responsible for ensuring the safety of forces stationed there. The unit was deployed with the command and control unit, 110th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade of Kansas City.
Major David Sloan of the 110th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade said the Kosovo Force 10 safely completed all missions and improved the quality of life for the people of Kosovo through school, bridge and water improvement projects. The command also made improvements to Camp Bondsteel, raising the quality of life for the soldiers who are still stationed there.
“While on patrol, many of the squads took the opportunity to adopt a school within the (troops’ stationed) area and help provide them with some of the basic needs,” Sloan said. “Patrols were also able to meet with several key leaders throughout the area to build relationships and help better the area. The people of Kosovo were grateful for (Kosovo Force 10’s) presence and particularly the United States.”
As for being back home, Brown said: “oh, it’s freaking great. The time there was good, but we had never been there before, so we were just kind of surviving.”
Brown added the most dangerous part of the mission was the driving of the natives.
“Man, the people there are crazy drivers,” Brown said, adding he actually witnessed the death of a pedestrian struck by a vehicle. “Driving was more dangerous than walking around over there.”
Before Missouri Army National Guard Specialist Greg Brown of Independence left for a year-long deployment to Kosovo, he admits he took certain life liberties for granted.
Now that Brown and nearly 1,000 other citizen-soldiers, including Brown’s father Larry, from units across the state are back home, he has a better prospective after serving a United Nations peacekeeping mission in the war-torn republic.
“It was amazing to see how they can survive on very little money and very little belongings and still were happy,” said Brown, who was among 86 citizen-soldiers of Delta Battery, 1-129th Field Artillery Battalion welcomed home Tuesday at the Independence Armory, 2323 South Crysler Road. “I know before I left, I took a lot of things for granted, but now...”
The soldiers were part of Kosovo Force 10 and Multi National Task Force - East, which included soldiers from nine other states and the countries of Armenia, Greece, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Ukraine. Delta Battery was mainly responsible for ensuring the safety of forces stationed there. The unit was deployed with the command and control unit, 110th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade of Kansas City.
Major David Sloan of the 110th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade said the Kosovo Force 10 safely completed all missions and improved the quality of life for the people of Kosovo through school, bridge and water improvement projects. The command also made improvements to Camp Bondsteel, raising the quality of life for the soldiers who are still stationed there.
“While on patrol, many of the squads took the opportunity to adopt a school within the (troops’ stationed) area and help provide them with some of the basic needs,” Sloan said. “Patrols were also able to meet with several key leaders throughout the area to build relationships and help better the area. The people of Kosovo were grateful for (Kosovo Force 10’s) presence and particularly the United States.”
As for being back home, Brown said: “oh, it’s freaking great. The time there was good, but we had never been there before, so we were just kind of surviving.”
Brown added the most dangerous part of the mission was the driving of the natives.
“Man, the people there are crazy drivers,” Brown said, adding he actually witnessed the death of a pedestrian struck by a vehicle. “Driving was more dangerous than walking around over there.”
