Decade-long period of Guard leadership in Kosovo peacekeeping mission concludes

ARLINGTON, Virginia – The Florida Army National Guard’s 53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team transferred authority of NATO’s Kosovo Force Regional Command-East to the U.S. Army’s 1st Infantry Division Oct. 12 at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo, closing a chapter in Army National Guard leadership that began in 2015.

From 2003 to 2015, Guard and active component units both assumed command of Kosovo Force’s eastern sector for periods at a time, but from 2015 until October 2026, the brigade-level headquarters element was entirely commanded by Guard units. Throughout those rotations, Guard Soldiers worked alongside NATO Allies and partner forces to maintain a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement for all people living in Kosovo.

“The Army National Guard didn’t simply support the KFOR mission, our Soldiers helped shape it,” said U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Jonathan Stubbs, director of the Army National Guard. “Through their leadership, their partnerships and their unwavering commitment to stability, they strengthened NATO’s presence in Kosovo and left a lasting legacy for the Soldiers who follow.”

The NATO-led Kosovo Force, or KFOR, was established in June 1999 under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 following the Kosovo conflict. Since KFOR’s establishment, the United States has led what is now known as KFOR Regional Command - East, which includes four primary multinational components: a Maneuver Battalion, a Non-Kinetic Battalion, an Aviation task force, and supporting sustainment elements.

Although not in command of Regional Command - East any longer, the Guard still provides units and personnel for some of the required supporting elements.

Army National Guard participation in KFOR dates back to at least 2001, when the Pennsylvania Army National Guard’s F Battery, 109th Field Artillery Regiment, 28th Infantry Division, deployed to Kosovo. Two years later, in July 2003, the 28th ID became the first Army National Guard formation to lead what was then called KFOR Multinational Brigade-East, operating with the name Task Force Falcon.

While U.S. units used different task force names during their rotations, the multinational command itself evolved from Multinational Brigade-East to Multinational Task Force-East, Multinational Battle Group-East, and eventually Regional Command-East as NATO reorganized its mission.

Other Guard formations continued to assume command of the mission in subsequent years, including the Virginia Army National Guard's 29th Infantry Division, Texas Army National Guard's 36th Infantry Division, Indiana Army National Guard's 38th Infantry Division and California Army National Guard's 40th Infantry Division.

In December 2007, as Kosovo prepared for a possible declaration of independence, Brig. Gen. John Davoren, commander of the Kansas Army National Guard's 35th Infantry Division-led Multinational Task Force-East, described how his Soldiers were preparing for potential unrest.

"Problems get worked out before they become an issue that results in violence," Davoren said during his command of the task force. "Our work with the people in the communities out there have allowed us to have a very calm situation."

Throughout the decades-long mission, Guard Soldiers accomplished peacekeeping efforts by conducting security patrols, supporting the development of the Kosovo Security Force, working with local police to deter illegal activity, and meeting with community leaders to identify concerns that could lead to unrest.

By 2010, the North Dakota Army National Guard’s 141st Maneuver Enhancement Brigade led KFOR’s eastern sector, which had been reorganized as Multinational Battle Group-East, or MBGE. The task force comprised approximately 800 U.S. Soldiers from North Dakota and 13 other states and territories, alongside forces from Albania, Greece, Poland, Romania, Turkey, and Ukraine.

The Soldiers of the task force expanded their mission to include more civil-military activities, health education, English language instruction, and infrastructure improvements.

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Andrew T. Gilbertson, a North Dakota Army National Guard Soldier and teacher in his civilian life, worked with six village schools in the Kacanik municipality of Kosovo. He helped establish a video exchange between students there and students in his hometown of Oakes, North Dakota, allowing them to learn about one another's daily lives.

The exchange later expanded into a school supply donation project, with students and faculty in Oakes collecting six boxes of supplies. In June 2010, local Red Cross volunteers delivered one box to each of the six village schools.

“I think that this small project grew and was successful because a lot of people worked hard to make it happen,” Gilbertson said. “I think at the end of the day, the students are the ones who benefited, and the world got just a little bit smaller because of this project.”

In June 2013, the Army's 525th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade assumed command of Multinational Battle Group-East from the South Carolina Army National Guard's 218th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade.

National Guard Soldiers still continued serving in supporting roles during active component-led rotations. In 2014, aviation units from Utah, North Dakota, Iowa and Louisiana formed Task Force Warhorse, providing medical evacuation, air movement and logistical support. The combined aviation task force served during the rotation in which the active component’s 504th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade commanded Multinational Battle Group-East.

In July 2015, the Guard began a period of continuous leadership of the eastern command, with responsibility transferring from one Guard unit to another in nine-month rotations. North Carolina Army National Guard’s 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team led that charge, assuming command of MBGE from the Army’s 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division.

By 2019, NATO had reorganized KFOR's eastern command as Regional Command-East, which included Liaison Monitoring Teams, or LMTs, bringing security operations and liaison monitoring activities under one headquarters. The New Jersey National Guard's 44th Infantry Brigade Combat Team led the command during that period.

LMTs mission was to meet with local leaders and residents to identify concerns and monitor tensions, providing commanders with insight into the communities they served.

In 2020, U.S. Army 1st Lt. Parker Mooney. with the Oregon Army National Guard, led an LMT responsible for building relationships across three Kosovo municipalities. He later remained for another rotation, overseeing five multinational teams.

“We can be genuinely curious about things and develop relationships on a personal level as well,” Mooney said. “People love to talk about themselves and what they do.”

During that same rotation, U.S. Army Maj. Chad Plaisted, with the Oregon Army National Guard, noticed a shortage of supplies at a school in Bivolak, Kosovo, while participating in a cleanup project. He enlisted his wife to organize donations from family and friends in the United States, resulting in nearly a dozen boxes of school supplies delivered to the students.

“This has been a humbling experience for everyone involved in this donation,” said Plaisted. “These children are enthusiastic about learning, are very deserving, and I hope today’s donation inspires more giving in the future.”

Beyond community engagement, Guard Soldiers continued to provide aviation capabilities to support the safety of personnel operating throughout Kosovo.

On Oct. 15, 2022, just eight days after arriving in Kosovo, an Arizona Army National Guard medical evacuation crew received a call to evacuate a Soldier requiring urgent medical care from Camp Nothing Hill in northern Kosovo. The crew, assigned to Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 149th Aviation Regiment, transported the Soldier by UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter to a hospital in Pristina in approximately 20 minutes, a journey that would have taken more than 90 minutes by ground.

“We've done it in training scenarios over and over, but it was pretty fulfilling to come together as a group and actually pull off the mission and take care of somebody,” said Sgt. Jacob Anderson, one of the crew's flight paramedics.

Security patrols remained another central part of the mission. In 2025, Oregon Army National Guard Soldiers assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 162nd Infantry Regiment, conducted coordinated patrols with Kosovo Police to deter illegal activity and maintain security in northern Kosovo.

“Our job is to support, observe, and build trust,” said U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Mario Campbell, a platoon leader with the unit. “We’re not here to take the lead but to work side by side with Kosovo Police.”

Maintaining that trust remained a priority through the Guard's final rotation, when the Florida Army National Guard's 53rd IBCT assumed responsibility of the task force in February 2026. Under the command of U.S. Army Col. Sam Sargeant, the brigade led approximately 1,400 personnel from 12 NATO and partner nations.

In October Sargeant transferred command of Regional Command-East to the current commander of the task force, composed of 1st Infantry Division Soldiers. The transfer marked a return to Kosovo for the 1st ID, the same division that sent the first U.S. ground troops into Kosovo in 1999.

Reflecting on the Guard's final rotation, Sargeant emphasized that the mission's impact extended beyond its operational accomplishments.

“Long after the patrol metrics are filed, the true measure of our impact is the trust we built,” Sargeant said.“During times of localized friction, it was our deliberate, calm, and visible posture alongside our international partners that kept the peace. We didn't just deter conflict; we provided the stable, secure environment necessary for families here to live their daily lives without fear. That is the legacy we leave behind.”

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