U.S. soldiers conduct patrols utilizing ATVs
Story and photo by U.S. Army Sgt. Samantha Parks
4th Public Affairs Detachment
S
oldiers with 3rd Detachment, Company C, 1st
Squadron, 38th Cavalry Regiment conducted area
patrols around Zubin Potok Nov. 2.
During some patrols, soldiers utilize all-terrain vehicles
in addition to non-tactical vehicles and high mobility
multipurpose wheeled vehicles.
“The mission we did today is a situational awareness patrol,”
said U.S. Army Sgt. Dane Brown, a senior scout observer
and a native of Fishers, Ind. “Basically we go out and patrol
around certain zones to show the people of Kosovo our
presence.”
“Basically there’s a lot of major [areas] that are conducted
by trails, dirt roads, things like that,” Brown said.
“[ATVs] allows us to move more freely to get from one
place to another and cover more ground in a short amount
of time.”
Brown said the patrols his company conducts are very
signi?cant to the Kosovo Forces mission and to the people
of Kosovo, especially around the time of elections.
Having the ATVs is de?nitely an advantage in the
mountainous terrain, Brown said.
“Our mission is important because the people of Kosovo
need to know they have a safe and secure environment to
vote, especially since it’s around election time,” Brown said.
U.S. Army Capt. Brian Fitzgerald, Co. C commander, said
his guys have been doing a great job during the patrols.
“We’ve got a pretty good relationship with the locals and
the Kosovo Police in Zubin Potok,” Fitzgerald said. “We’ve
got sergeants and staff sergeants leading four to six man
elements and it’s very good for the guys and good to get out
there and help.”
“HMMWVs are a little bit bigger and harder to maneuver,”
he explained.
Fitzgerald said his units broad range of skills and
equipment are an asset to maintaining the Kosovo Forces
overall mission.
“We’re third responders for KP and EULEX, so we
come in after they have a situation that exceeds their
capabilities,” Fitzgerald said. “It’s a pretty low threat
environment. It’s really good to [conduct] the stability,
peacekeeping operations.”
Soldiers with 3rd Detachment, Company C, 1st Squadron, 38th Cavalry Regiment conduct situational awareness patrol along the outer roads of Zubin
Potok Nov. 2. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Samantha Parks, 4th Public Affairs Detachment)
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