COMMUNITY
Public Safety
OFFICER JOSEPH SEROWIK RETURNS TO ROSS POLICE AFTER A YEAR IN KOSOVO
First , I would like to thank Ross Township for the privilege of writing for In Ross about my experience in Kosovo . Second , I would ask the readers to note that my submission reflects my personal thoughts and opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of the PA Army National Guard , the U . S . Armed Forces or those of the Ross Township Police Department .
So , where is Kosovo and why am I being sent there ? These were to first two questions that popped into my head after being informed that my Army National Guard Unit , HHC 2 / 28th Brigade Combat Team was being mobilized as part of NATO ’ s Operation Joint Guardian . A quick search of the internet led to a treasure trove of information , not much being positive . Kosovo is a predominately Muslim country in the heart of some of the most disputed territory in Europe . It happens to have the highest percentage of ISIS recruits than any other nation .
It ’ s also why NATO fought its first war in 1999- not just to remove a head of state but to stop the ethnic cleansing that was occurring and put pressure on Serbian President , Slobodan Milošević , to accept the Rambouillet Accords . And , it was the first time in history that genocide had been stopped by the use of military force . At the height of the conflict , 50,000 troops were peacekeeping inside a country the size of Connecticut .
Fast forward to 2016 . More than 28 NATO member states and alliance partners currently contribute to the Kosovo Force ( KFOR ) with the United States leading one of two Multinational Battle Groups . Why does the National Guard have this mission instead of the Active Duty military ? Simple . We , as Citizen / Soldiers , carry civilian skill sets ( Police , EMS , School Teacher , and Carpenters / Builders ) and since most soldiers have several years of experience , these civilian skill sets make peacekeeping missions such as Kosovo tailored for the National Guard .
Peacekeeping is much more challenging in many ways than all‐out war or even the asymmetrical warfare of Iraq , which I was
a part of from 2005-2006 . It is difficult to find satisfaction when you cannot see the results on a daily basis . But yet if I take a look at the long term results , peacekeeping is a necessary part of the overall process .
Being a NATO peacekeeping mission , the biggest questions I got asked were , “ What was it like ?” and “ What did you do ?” My answers : unlike anything I did before and a little bit of everything . Our primary mission was to provide a Safe and Secure Environment for all persons in order to support the establishment of civilian institutions , law and order , the judicial and penal system , the electoral process and such , regardless of ethnicity .
The Multi-National Battle Group East ( MNBG-E ) that I was assigned to accomplished this through daily patrols to ensure public order ; building strategic relationships with schools and local politicians in our area of interest ; deciphering intelligence gathered by various means ; and establishing a presence in many different towns . All of this was performed to ensure the security of ethnic minorities and protection of patrimonial sites .
With regard to my individual role throughout the deployment , I was primarily assigned as the Sexual Assault Response Coordination / Victim Advocate ( SARC / VA ). Long title with an important mission . This role carried the responsibility of responding to any crimes in regard to any sexual assault or harassment that occurred within the US Battle Group-East . I was the sole point of contact for this role .
As such , I was assigned the additional duty position of Director of International Relations for Multi-National Battle Group East oss Township
ROSS TOWNSHIP NEWS
Ross Township | Spring 2017 | icmags . com 49