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“ I got to play ping-pong with some of the kids here today,” Walker said.“ It was fun. Today was my first time playing [ ping-pong ]. Some of the kids, I think, just let me win.”
The idea for the visit originally started with the director of the school requesting LMT 4 to come and talk to the classes, Hipple said.
“ During the course of me getting to know my area, I came to this school,” Hipple said.“ I talked to the director and he was really happy to see us. He told me that he hasn’ t really seen KFOR in the last two years or so.
On my second visit here, he told me about how he wanted KFOR soldiers to come in and have a little [ question-andanswer ] with the students; he just wanted us to come into the classroom and talk to the kids and let them practice their English. So on the third visit, when I came to confirm it, he said,‘ hey would you guys be interested in coming out and playing some sports with the kids and just hanging out all day like a field day type thing.’”
Hipple said the director of the school, Mr. Milaim Misini, and his faculty completely organized the day.
“ As long as the schools come up with it and organize it, I will participate wherever I can,” Hipple said.
The main focus for him and his team over the next nine
months is the schools and children, Hipple said.
“ It’ s my opinion that if we can get through to the kids and show the kids that there is a better tomorrow if they want it to be, then that’ s what’ s rewarding for me,” he said.“ I’ ve been around to other schools in this village and everybody knew that we were coming here today. So the word is spreading that KFOR 17 is out here and we are here to engage with the local populace.”
It’ s very important to Hipple that the community feels comfortable interacting with him and his team. He wants them to know KFOR troops and not associate them with any negative stigma.
“ It’ s just going to show them that we’ re not someone to be scared of, that we’ re not all here just about business,” Hipple said.“ Because I’ ve seen it in the past where military, in any country, will go out there and have this stigma about them like‘ oh you can’ t talk to me, stay away from me, we don’ t know how to have fun.’ We might suck at playing football, but we aren’ t afraid to try it, we aren’ t afraid to lose. We’ re humble people.”
Kenan Halimi School will come together with several other schools in the community on June 4th for the ninth grade graduation. Hipple said he is very excited because he has already been extended an invitation and plans on attending.
A school child at Kenan Halimi School competes in a pingpong game against Spc. Stanley Walker, Liaison Monitoring Team Four and native of Brentwood, N. Y.
( left) Children at the Kenan Halimi School teach U. S. troops how to dance.
Troops play a game of three-on-three basketball with school children.
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