KFOR 17 SafetyA look back
Safety
As Multinational Battle Group – East prepares for the arrival of Kosovo Force 18, one cannot help but look back at
the deployment. It started with the arrival at Hohenfels, Germany for a Joint Multinational Readiness Center rotation
in May 2013. After spending a couple of weeks in “The Box,” the battle group arrived in Kosovo and immediately
partnered itself with KFOR 16 as KFOR 17 would soon take the helm. Not long after the Transfer of Authority, the
newly formed KFOR 17 battle group was operating alongside with their multinational partners ensuring a “safe and
secure environment” and “freedom of movement” continued throughout the area of operations.
It did not take long to realize that one of the greatest hazards the battle group would face would be the risks associated
with ground movement. The safety issues on the road were unpredictable at best. When you combine a unit new
to area, that is not entirely familiar with the roads and accustomed to the hazards of the operating environment, the
safety risk is high. Within the first 30 days from TOA, the battle group experienced two Class C vehicle accidents
and a series of near-miss accidents. Within the first 45 days from TOA, a battle group-wide Safety Stand Down was
initiated. Every leader and soldier took the time to reassess the operational risk of ground movement in order to
reduce the residual risk to the absolute lowest level possible.
For the remainder of the summer and fall season, approximately 5 ½ months, the battle group did not experien