Oregon National Guard soldiers do press training Oct. 7, 2024, in Hohenfels, Germany, to practice talking with local media about their mission. Soldiers from the Guard unit will join a NATO peackeeping mission in Kosovo later this year. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)
The Oregon National Guard’s 2nd Battalion, 162nd Infantry Regiment prepared for its upcoming mission to help keep peace in Kosovo with a dress rehearsal this week at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany.
Role players simulated scenarios they may face in a mock town set up to mimic a rural Kosovo setting. Small teams of soldiers interacted with the pretend residents, who included people playing the roles of local police chief and medical director.
Leading up to the exercise Monday, the Oregon soldiers trained alongside other NATO forces to handle tasks like riot control. In Monday’s drill, their conversations were aimed at maintaining peace and preventing violent escalation.
Two Oregon National Guard soldiers talk to a man playing the role of a local police chief during a mock peacekeeping mission, Oct. 7, 2024, at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany. The training was meant to prepare soldiers for a NATO peacekeeping mission in Kosovo later this year. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)
A small team of soldiers from the Oregon National Guard enters a training town's medical facility Oct. 7, 2024, at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany. The soldiers are preparing for a NATO peacekeeping mission in Kosovo later this year. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)
A man portraying a Kosovo resident watches the action during a mock peacekeeping mission Oct. 7, 2024, at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany. Oregon National Guard soldiers worked with actors to prepare for a NATO peacekeeping mission in Kosovo later this year. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)
The Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany, hosts training Oct. 7, 2024, for Oregon National Guard soldiers preparing for a NATO peacekeeping mission in Kosovo later this year. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)
People portraying Kosovo citizens assume their roles in a small training town at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany, on Oct. 7, 2024. The actors provided valuable training for Oregon National Guard soldiers by simulating the interactions they may encounter on their mission to Kosovo later this year. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)
Soldiers from the Oregon National Guard talk to a man portraying a small-town medical director during a mock peacekeeping mission Oct. 7, 2024, at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany. The soldiers will head to Kosovo later this year to join a NATO peacekeeping mission. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)
U.S. soldiers simulate a walk through a town representing rural Kosovo as part of training at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany, on Oct. 7, 2024. Oregon National Guard infantry soldiers were training in preparation for a NATO peacekeeping mission in Kosovo later this year. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)
Soldiers and pretend townspeople trade stories during peacekeeping training at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany, on Oct. 7, 2024. The Oregon National Guard soldiers were training to prepare for a NATO peacekeeping mission in Kosovo later this year. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)
An Oregon National Guard soldier takes notes during a drill Oct. 7, 2024, at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany. The training is designed to prepare soldiers for a NATO peacekeeping mission in Kosovo later this year. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)
The flag of Kosovo flies over a small training town at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany, on Oct. 7, 2024. Oregon National Guard soldiers did simulated interactions with actors playing town residents to prepare for a NATO peacekeeping mission in Kosovo later this year. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)
Oregon National Guard soldiers practice connecting with townspeople during simulation at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany, on Oct. 7, 2024. Actors portraying town residents helped the soldiers prepare for a NATO peacekeeping mission in Kosovo later this year. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)
American rotational forces have long taken part in the NATO peacekeeping missions in Kosovo, which date to 1999 and followed an alliance campaign to end the bloodshed that marked the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s.
But over the past two years, northern Kosovo has seen violent protests as a result of increased tension between ethnic Albanians and Serbs. There were 4,600 NATO troops in Kosovo at the start of this year, about 600 of whom were Americans.
