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