The Guardian

Volume XV Issue 3March 2012

The official magazine of Multinational Battle Group EastGUARDIANthe

2 GUARDIANtheMarch 2012

What’s Inside

KFOR Clears Gate 1 Roadblock

Page 5

Raven Class Graduates

Page 8

Seatbelts Save Lives

Page 9

DoD Expands Drug Testing

Page 10

10 Tips For Better Credit

Page 11

Yoga Helps Relieve Deployment Stress Page 15

The Guardian is produced for personnel of Multinational Battle Group - East, and is an authorized

publication for members of the Department of Defense.

Contents of the publication are not necessarily the official views

of the United Nations, U.S. govern-ment, the Department of the

Army, Headquarters & Headquar-ters Company, 157th Maneuver

Enhancement Brigade, or MNBG-E.

Commanding OfficerCol. Jeffrey J. Liethen

Command Sergeant MajorCommand Sgt. Maj.

Bradley J. Shields

Public Affairs OfficerCapt. Joy Staab

172nd Public Affairs Detachment

EditorSgt. 1st Class Jim Wagner

Broadcast Journalists

Staff Sgt. Jason AlvarezSpc. Nathan Rivard

GUARDIANthe

About the

CoverU.S. Army Capt. Gregory

Calhoun, Joint Implementa-tion Commission deputy, keeps an eye on a tent

on the Serbian side of the Administrative Boundary Line

separating it from Kosovo. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st

Class Jim Wagner)


As the Commander of Contingent 15 Multi-national Battle Group – East (MNBG-E) I have the privilege of leading and working alongside very talented individuals while

working to help Kosovo progress into a stable and safe place to live. Throughout my deployment, I have had to face many challenges, including the challenges that come with providing a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement for the people of Kosovo. The important lesson I have learned along the way is that you can overcome chal-lenges by building relationships.

I learned this lesson early in my deployment when my Army National Guard unit, the 157th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade from Wisconsin, joined U.S. Army soldiers from 13 other military units to form the U.S. contingent of MNBG-E. Even though we are all Americans, we all came from different military and civilian backgrounds which presented a chal-lenge. However, as we trained and worked together during our mobilization we formed a bond that united us into one cohesive unit.

I arrived in Kosovo feeling proud of the unified team I brought with me, but quickly real-ized I had more relationship building to do. I now had to incorporate my unit with our multinational NATO partners. I feared our cultural and language differences would make uniting difficult, but I soon discovered that we had more things in common than I expected. By finding these similarities and focus-ing on our common goals we created a unified team.

Not long into my deployment, rumors began circulating amongst the local populace that the U.S. Government planned to close Camp Bondsteel. I knew I had to put an end to the false rumors, so I invited the media onto Camp Bondsteel to talk to them directly, answer their questions and let them

tour the camp. I soon found out that it was the first time the Ser-bian media had been invited to Camp Bond-steel for such an event. The media gratefully accepted my invitation and thanked me for the opportunity. As a result of the event, I was able to get my message out and begin building relationships with the media and all of Kosovo.

That is when I realized that each unit, organiza-tion and agency in Kosovo is a piece of a puzzle that needs to connect through the patient process of rela-

tionship building. Once all the pieces connect, a clear picture will emerge.

MNBG-E is only one part of KFOR— a peace-keeping force responsible for providing a safe envi-ronment and freedom of

movement for all. KFOR cannot unilaterally solve all of Kosovo’s problems. Teamwork, time and per-severance play their part, but we must trust in the process. Barricades in the north are a political issue and will be solved through political and diplomatic dialogue.

Building relationships will result in the facilita-tion of greater communication and an opportunity for sustainable stability. MNBG-E will continue to cooperate closely with our multinational partners to safeguard the progress that KFOR has made during the past 13 years and have this grow towards the increased capability of a viable and vibrant self-governing Kosovo.

From the CommanderOvercome Challenges by Building Relationships

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Col. Jeffrey J. Liethen MNBG E Commander

"Building relationships will result in the facilitation of greater communication and an opportunity for sustainable stability."

flickr.com/photos/MNBG-E

facebook.com/KFOR.MNBG.East

youtube.com/MNBGEast


CSM CornerSet Goals, Check Values When Evaluating Success

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Command Sgt. Maj. Bradley J. Shields

MNBG E CSM

How do you define success? If you do not have a clear definition of what success means to you, how will you know if you have achieved success? Achieving success

is defined by the individual, and a product of deliber-ate thought and planning.

First, determine unmistakable and distinct ide-als and have the desire to fulfill those goals. To reach goals or success, you will need to set the box, to determine what you are willing to sacrifice to achieve those goals. Consider your values and ethics to ensure the goals and sacrifice do not violate your core principles.

Goal setting – once you have set you goals, defined what success is, write it down and visit it regularly. How do I measure success, and what tools will I need to attain my goals?

Set bench marks to chart your road to success, and determine what additional tools will be necessary. Do I need additional education, experience, or change in location for opportunity? Think about and record what sacrifices you may have to make in order to achieve your goals to success. Time with loved ones and social time may be two areas affected in pursuit of your goals.

Revisit your goals to success frequently – your goals will evolve over time and will adjust as you work towards success. Remind yourself often why you are doing what you are doing. Forget the expec-tations of others and keep in mind success is more

than merely material.

Your Military goals – your military career should follow the same process of defining and establishing goals. Your definition of success and benchmarks towards those goals need to be established. The Army Career tracker is a tool for you and your leader to use for mentoring and counseling.

Honest evaluations by your leaders will identify strengths and areas of leadership you need to work on. Seeking opportunity and knowing what the education and experience requirements are is critical.

Military success does not just happen and is more often a result of a chartered course to success. The career tracker, will allow leaders who rate soldiers to get a quick assessment of the professional develop-ment status of subordinates.

You will determine your military future. Know-ing your goals and definition of success, will help your leaders mentor you towards success. Living within the Army Values will be the cornerstone towards achieving your goals, it’s yours for the taking!

Cast members of the play, "It 's Time to Wake Up!" pose for a picture after their performance Feb. 18, 2012, at the Camp Bondsteel theater. The play, written by U.S. Army 1st Lt. Sherry Anderson of Task Force Medical, commemorated February's Black History Month. Soldiers performed a variety of other talents throughout the evening, including African dance choreographed by Sgt. Taria Johnson, poem read-ing by writer Cpl. Marchelle Davis and miming by Sgt. Rafael Marquetti. (U.S. Army photo by Capt. Joy Staab)


story & photos by Sgt. 1st Class Jim Wagner

continued on next Page

A Kosovo Forces (KFOR) Soldiers removes a tree limb from a road-block near Gate 1.

MNBG E Opens

RoadAt Gate 1

Soldiers from Multinational Battle Group East (MNBG E) and Kosovo Forces (KFOR) cleared a roadblock at the most northern official cross-

ing point between Kosovo and Serbia Feb. 17-18, near the town of Jaringe, Kosovo.

Gate 1 is the official crossing point between the two territories and is manned by customs and border manage-ment officials from the European Union Law Enforcement Mission (EULEX). The roadblock was setup last year by Serbians protesting the Kosovo government, which declared its independence from Serbia in 2008.

Since September 2011, people traveling near the border crossing have relied on alternate crossing points between Kosovo and Serbia, which were not safe once weather conditions worsened, according to U.S. Army Lt. Col. Joe Lynch, commander of the Georgia Army National Guard’s 3rd Squadron, 108th Cavalry Regiment, who led the mission to clear the roadblock.

“Over the past several weeks, the weather conditions have made the bypasses that people of northern Kosovo have been using dangerous,” Lynch said. “KFOR is tasked to ensure freedom of movement for all people within the territory of Kosovo and the debris piles blocking the road were within the boundaries of Kosovo; so removing the debris blocking this roadway is part of our mandate.”

The importance of freedom of movement for all Kosovo residents, one of KFOR’s responsibilities under United Nations Resolution 1244, was highlighted by the recent avalanches in southern Kosovo and throughout Europe, which has claimed the lives of many people in the region. Clear

U.S. Army Spcs. Ronald Williams from Athens, Ga., left, and Marcos Barragan from Powder Springs, Ga., both infantrymen from the Geor-gia Army National Guard's 3rd Squadron, 108th Cavalry Regiment, clear a log from the roadblock.


continued from previous Page

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roads are an essential part of getting humanitarian and emergency response crews to any location that has seen a record level of snowfall this season.

The mission, directed by German Army Maj. Gen. Erhard Drews, KFOR com-mander, also sought to re-establish the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) at the crossing point between Kosovo and Serbia. Coordinating with the Serbian armed forces, members of MNBG E’s Joint Imple-mentation Commission (JIC) provided documentation showing the roadblock was located on Kosovo territory, not Serbian, and thus was KFOR’s responsibility to remove.

The snowfall this winter prompted military plan-ners to expect the roadblock removal mission to last several days. The weather the night before rein-forced that perception, with several inches of snow

blanketing the northern portion of Kosovo. Despite the newly-dropped snow, MNBG E officials were able to remove the debris and snow within hours when the next day dawned sunny and relatively warm.Assisting MNBG E in removing the snow were members of KFOR’s Swiss and Austrian contingents. Chainsaws and snow plows aided manpower to accomplish the mission.

According to military officials, there are currently 13 roadblocks in northern Kosovo, although only two of them completely block traffic. Most are one-lane checkpoints manned by local Kosovo Serbians to control traffic. When MNBG E arrived late last year, there were more than 20 roadblocks, but the Gate 1 roadblock is the first the U.S.-led forces have had to physically remove.

“MNBG E has been successfully creating an envi-ronment within the north Kosovo region where the roadblocks are not needed,” Lynch said. “There has been a great deal of dialogue between representa-tives of MNBG E, Joint Regional Detachment North (JRD N) and KFOR with local leaders, in order to get their cooperation in either removing the road-blocks completely or reducing their size.”

A snow plow removes snow and branches from the roadway.

KFOR soldiers tie a rope around a large tree branch to have it dragged from the roadway.

U.S. Army Spc. Ronald Williams, left, infantryman, helps remove a tree from the roadblock.


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Primary elections have started, and you can vote in them. If you or your family members have not submitted a registration or absentee ballot request [Federal Post Card Application (FPCA)] to your home State, you should do so ASAP.

Even if you have voted absentee in a recent elec-tion, you should submit an FPCA again this year as many States require annual submission – don’t assume your regis-tration or absentee ballot request from the 2010 election is still valid.

You may also use the form to update your mailing and email addresses which are cru-cial to ensure you receive your ballot quickly. Since many Uniformed Service members are highly mobile, you and your family members should submit a new FPCA whenever you move or are transferred, as well as upon deployment or returning from deployment. Your unit and installation voting assis-tance officers can remind you of this, and assist you in this process.

But you can do this yourselves as well; everything you need is on the FVAP web portal at http://www.fvap.gov/map.html. State registration requirements vary greatly so click on your State on the map and follow the instructions to register and request an absentee ballot. Some States allow submitting the FPCA by email or fax in lieu of regular mail.

Help spread the word - pass this on to spouses,

voting age dependents, other military voters, and overseas voters. Sign up for State-specific election information at http://www.fvap.gov/contact/sub-scription.html.

You can add or delete subscription items at any time and have the option to password protect your account. Your contact information will only be used to deliver the requested information or to give you

access to your profile and subscriptions.

And if you’ve submit-ted an absentee ballot request, but still have not received that ballot at least 30 days before the election, go to FVAP.gov’s online back-up ballot system to find out your federal candidates, fill out the back-up bal-lot, and get complete submission instructions from that source.

You can access this online back-up ballot system at http://www.fvap.gov/map.html, and then select, “Get My Ballot Now”.

If you’re still having problems, FVAP’s call center is available at 1-800-438-8683, DSN 425-1584, or at [email protected]. Toll-free phone numbers from 67 countries are listed at: http://www.fvap.gov/con-tact/tollfreephone.html.

Your unit or installation voting assistance officers can provide valuable local assistance. More info is available at FVAP.gov and don’t forget to “like” us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/DoDFVAP and follow @FVAP on Twitter.

Absentee Voting Starts

Visit the Camp Bondsteel Base Theater for the latest "new release" in Kosovo

Every Monday - Thursday & Saturday

Showtimes: 6:30 & 8:30 p.m.

This month:

Happy Feet 2 Alvin & the Chipmonks:

Chip WreckedJack & Jill

Harold & Kumar ChristmasJ. Edgar

The SitterThe Muppets

ImmortalsArthur Christmas


Twelve U.S. COY soldiers from the Georgia National Guard, 3rd Squadron 108th Cav-alry Regiment graduated from the Raven unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) Basic User

Course in Kosovo on Feb. 3.

Additionally, four of the 12 students received further training in the Master Trainer’s Course. The master trainer’s certification allows the four soldiers to annually certify their unit teams to maintain their unit’s Raven program.

The Raven is a lightweight and low-altitude remote-controlled UAV that performs intelligence and surveillance by capturing and transmitting images to ground units through a digital data link. It is 38 inches in length, has a five-foot wingspan and weighs four and a half pounds.

“It’s another set of eyes, used to expand our situ-ational awareness by seeing in places that would ordinarily be difficult to send soldiers,” according to intelligence officer, Maj. James Sandomierski. “It’s very durable yet affordable to operate.”

The U.S. COY received the Raven UAV’s prior to arriving in Kosovo, but the unit did not have soldiers trained to operate the equipment. To remedy the situation the Multinational Battle Group – East S3 training section coordinated with U.S. Army Europe to have trainers from the U.S. Aviation Maintenance Division come to Camp Bondsteel and teach the sol-diers how to operate the Raven.

“The unit brought these tools here to Kosovo, because the Raven UAV is a great tool for gathering real time information to aid military commanders

in the planning and execution processes,” said U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Benjamin Jarvis, Multinational Battle Group – East Training non-commissioned officer in charge. “Now we have soldiers trained to operate them.”

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Brian Murray, Company H, 3rd Squadron, 108th Cavalry Regiment, prepares a Raven UAV for flight.

Graduates: Staff Sgt. Jonathan Mclaughlin,

Staff Sgt. Robert Hubbard , Staff

Sgt. Brian Murray, Sgt. Anthony

Orsi , Sgt. James Carson , Sgt. Daniel

Redding , Sgt. Daniel Lavelle, Cpl.

Timothy Cape , Cpl. Dean Deangelo,

Spc. Kyle Black , Spc. Greg Hiett,

and Pfc. Michael Purslow

Raven Class Graduatesstory by Capt. Joy Staab

Photos courtesy of U.S. Army Maj. Brenda Beebe


The phrase “Click it or Ticket” came up today when I was at the barber shop. Those words sparked an interesting conversation between myself and a few other patrons; also Soldiers.

One mentioned they never wear their seatbelt at home. They went on to offer the general reasons behind their theory; “they cause more harm than good, etc”. I thought of what my remarks would be while they spoke.

Would I ramble on about seatbelt statistics? Per-haps I’d mention all the policies regarding seatbelt use? The time came to offer my perspective on the subject. Did I talk about the stats and policies? No. I spoke of how just a week prior I had investigated an accident where a kid’s face was smashed against the cold surface of the inside of a windshield.

I spoke of how, prior to that impact, the vehicle he drove in tore through a cinder block wall, and how prior to that had ricocheted off a Kosovo Force

(KFOR) vehicle. I spoke of how the kid’s injuries could have been avoided had he been wearing his seatbelt; and how a trip to the emergency room could have been saved.

A little more speed and that kid would have gone clear through the windshield. The two seconds it would have taken to buckle up would have saved that kid two months of hospital time.

The Soldiers in the barber shop understood where I was coming from. “Click it or Ticket” is our proactive approach to minimizing, if not eliminating, the possibility of serious injury or death in the event we find ourselves in a traffic accident.

Let’s learn from the oversights that have been made in the past. Take two seconds, put your seatbelt on, and let’s charley mike.

story & photos by Sgt. Alexander Henninger'Click it or Ticket' Saves Lives

A Kosovo vehicle sits damaged on the side of the road after an accident involving a KFOR vehicle. Injuries to the passenger would have been greatly reduced if a seatbelt was worn.

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The Defense Department (DoD) announced an expansion of its drug testing program to include widely-abused prescription medications containing hydrocodone and

benzodiazepine, Feb. 1.

As a result, the DoD is offering an unprecedented 90-day amnesty period for servicemembers to come clean and/or get treatment. This includes all active duty, Army Reserve and Army National Guard sol-diers assigned to Multinational Battle Group East.

The DoD, for the first time in more than 40 years of drug testing, is giving troops a three-month notice before the testing begins. Servicemembers addicted to prescription drugs can seek medical treatment without fear of penalty.

The testing is not an all-out ban of the substances. Service-members with prescriptions for the drugs will not be subject to disciplinary action for using them within the dosage and time prescribed. Soldiers who test positive for a controlled substance in which they cannot provide a valid prescription will face the same possible actions violators face if testing positive for “traditional” drugs like cocaine and marijuana.

According to U.S. Army Capt. Al Rohmeyer, MNBG E legal assistance judge advocate, soldiers who take advantage of the amnesty should self-refer as pro-scribed in Army Regulation 600-85, Army Substance Abuse Program (ASAP). The individual, he said, should preferably self-refer through their unit com-mander but other options exist.

“If the soldier does not wish to self-refer directly to the unit commander, the soldier can seek assistance from the Unit Prevention Leader (UPL), Task Force Medical, or any other NCO or officer in the soldier’s chain of command,” Rohmeyer stated. “As the MNBG-E legal assistance attorney, the soldier can also seek my assistance with the self-referral process.”

Although self-referral with the unit commander is preferred, Rohmeyer stated talking to a chaplain or legal assistance attorney is considered a privileged communication and they are prohibited from disclos-ing any communications without a waiver from the soldier.

The painkiller Vicodin, containing the syn-thetic opioid hydrocodone, and the anti-anxiety medications Xanax and Valium, which contain benzo-diazepine, are among the most- abused prescription drugs on the market, which is why they are being added to the list of testable substances.

The DoD already tests for the opiates codeine and morphine.

In July 2011, after years of war and with increasing numbers of troops returning from Afghanistan and Iraq with combat or training injuries, The Associated Press (AP) reported the number of soldiers referred for opiate abuse treat-ment had been growing steadily for at least a decade. In response to the trend, the Army began limiting the number of painkillers a soldier could be prescribed at one time.

According to Army data provided to AP, referrals for opiate abuse increased from 87 in fiscal year 1999 to 703 in fiscal year 2009. There were more than 670 referrals from October 2009 through June 2010.

Expired medications should be turned in for dis-posal rather than flushed, as they can contaminate the water supply. MNBG E soldiers should dispose of expired medications through Task Force Medical.

If anyone has any questions regarding this article, contact Rohmeyer at DSN x3209 or in Outlook email.

(Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared in the Stars & Stripes with additional information provided by MNBG E’s command judge advocate office)

DoD Expands Drug Testing Program

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St. Patrick's Day 5K Fun Run

March 18, 20121300

South Town Fitness Center


Repairing bad credit is similar to losing weight. It takes time and there is no quick and easy way to do it.

In fact, out of all of the ways to improve your credit, quick-fix gimmicks are the most likely to backfire, so beware of any advice or advertisements that claim that your credit can be fixed quickly and easily. The truth is that it cannot. The best advice for establishing good credit is to manage it responsi-bly over time.

The tips below offer some advice for establishing and maintaining good credit.

1. Review your credit report at least yearly: credit repair begins with your credit report. At a minimum, you should review your credit report once every 12 months for errors. In particular, check to make sure that there are no late payments incorrectly listed for any of your accounts and that the amounts owed for each of your open accounts is correct. For those personnel with common names, also ensure that the accounts listed on your credit report are actually your accounts. If you find any errors on any of the reports, dispute them with the creditor and/or the credit bureau. (Please note that an amendment to the Fair Credit Reporting Act requires each of the nationwide credit reporting companies - Equi-fax, Experian and Trans Union - to provide you a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months. To order a free copy of your credit report visit www.annual-creditreport.com, call 1-877-322-8228, or mail your request (download the request form from the website) to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.)

2. Setup payment reminders and automatic payments: making your payments on time is probably the largest contributing fac-tor to your credit score. Many institutions offer reminders through their online account websites that can send you an email or text message reminding you when a payment is due. Also, consider enrolling in automatic pay-ments through which your payments to your credit card company, loan provider and utility providers will be automatically debited from your bank account.

3. Reduce the amount of debt that you owe: this is easier said than done, but reducing the amount you owe is going to be a far more satis-fying achievement than improving your credit

score. The first recommendation is to stop using credit. If necessary, take credit cards out of your wallet and store them in a secure location where you will be less likely to use them. Next, make a list of your credi-tors, the amount of the debt, and the interest rate that the institution is charging. After that, establish a payment plan that puts most of your available budget for debt payments towards the debts with the highest interest rate being charged while maintaining mini-mum payments on the rest of the accounts. If you have several debts with high interest rates being charged, focus on the one that has the smallest balance. Pay that one off first and then proceed with paying off the one with the second lowest balance. So on and so forth. You will find this method very rewarding as you will see faster results.

4. Setup a “rainy day” fund: after your debt has been significantly reduced or eliminated all together, set up a “rainy day” fund in case of unforeseen circumstances. It is recommended that you save the equivalent of six times your monthly living expenses; however, having any savings will be better than having none. By establishing a “rainy day” fund, you will have the ability to pay your debts should you become unemployed or unable to work due to illness.

5. Maintain contact with creditors: if you are unable to make a payment or if you know that you are going to be late with a payment, con-tact your creditor immediately. In some case, they will cut you a break - NEVER just stop making payments all together or ignoring your debts. You can run, but you cannot hide!

6. Apply for and open new credit accounts only as needed: applying for numerous accounts over a short period of time will adversely affect your credit rating especially if you have a short credit history.


Capt. Aloysius RohmeyerLegal Assistance/Claims Attorney

10 Tips Towards Better Credit


7. Have a credit card but use it responsibly: in general, having credit cards and install-ment loans and paying them on time and/or paying them off early will build your credit score. Someone with no credit cards, for example, tends to be higher risk than someone who has managed credit cards responsibly.

8. Keep balances low on credit cards and other “revolving credit” (credit that does not have a fixed number of payments): maintain-ing high revolving credit balances will

adversely affect your credit rating.

9. If you have missed payments, get current and stay current: the longer you pay your bills on time, the more likely it is that your credit score will increase. The impact of past credit problems fade as time passes and as recent good payment patterns show up on your credit report.

10. Re-establish Your credit history if you have had problems: opening new accounts responsibly and paying them off on time will raise your credit score in the long run. The key here is to act responsibly and do not over-extend yourself.


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Are you half way? Not that I propose you do a count down, but I do highly recommend checking milestones in your goal setting. Deployments are one of the few times in your life that have a definite beginning and end. A defined timeline combined with a complete change of your day-to-day schedule and surroundings provides an excellent time to set and achieve goals. How are you doing so far?

In talking with Soldiers, I have learned about the many ways they plan on improving their life this year. Some are learning to play an instrument and others a foreign language. Some have financial goals and others physical fitness goals. And yet others have set spiritual or educational growth goals. What goals have you set for yourself or established with your supervisor in your initial counseling? How are they coming?

We are currently about half way through this

deployment. I ask that you take time and evaluate if you are at a good pace to meet or exceed your goals. If you are, keep up the great work. When this deployment is done you will have a great deal of pride in your persistence and hard work. If you are not on pace, what do you need to change to get back on schedule? You still have time to make a course and pace correction to achieve something that will give you great fulfillment at the conclusion of this deployment. Get to work!

From the IG

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Are You Halfway to Your Goals?

Maj. Daniel Hanson IG Officer

Women's History Month Luncheon Honoring Women who have

served and serve in our Armed Forces

March 14, 2012MWR Theater

Keynote Speaker: Maj. Wilma King


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Chaplain’s CornerA Godly Perspective on Change

If there is anything certain in life, it is change. If we could design our own lives, they would be filled with all that we want and nothing that we don’t want. Life, however, doesn’t work that way.

Life is about growth and progression.

Flowers bloom and fade; seeds sprout and grow; butterflies undergo four distinct life cycles; and the list goes on. The bible is full of examples on transfor-mation.

A notable record is found in II Corinthians 5:17—”Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; Behold, all things are become new.”

Note here that the scripture signifies that a pro-cess takes place. To grow, we must undergo change both physically and mentally.

But why do we resist change?

Many of us find it difficult to accept change in our lives. Let’s be honest with our-selves about one thing—change is NOT easy. And one of the reasons we have a difficult time dealing with change is because of the emotional factors associated with it.

These emo-tions may include fear, discourage-ment, anxiety, insecurity, cau-tion, anger, confusion, anticipation, disappointment, concern, depression, avoidance, uncomfortable dread and excitement.

Many of us are resistant to change because it takes us out of our comfort zones, exposing some degree of our vulnerability. When change occurs, we most often first feel that there is a loss of some sort.

If we lose our job, emotion interprets it as a loss of identity or financial stability. If we develop illness or

disease, emotion inter-prets it as loss of good health. If our personal relationship comes to an end or experiences a major shift, emotion interprets the event as a setback.

And since emotions tend to unmask us and make us seemingly vulnerable, we resist those things that unveil our nakedness to other people.

On both spiritual and natural plateaus, change serves as a catalytic agent, and personal and spiritual growth are its by-products. When change

happens, we have a few options. We can live with it, adapt to it or grow from it. Some things we will have to let go of, say good-bye to, or even release ourselves from.

We must remem-ber that no matter how devastating the form of change, a golden opportunity awaits.

As the scripture declares, change ushers in newness

- a new attitude, a new direction, a new relationship, a mended relationship, a closer relationship

with God, a new career, a new home, a new church, a new medical report.

For change is opportunity-driven; it is a special invitation to personal and spiritual empowerment and advancement.Embrace change and live abun-dantly.

“Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; Behold, all things are become new.” - II Corinthians 5:17

Chap. (Capt.) Andy Shepherd MNBG E Chaplain


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What is the Safety Program all about? Many of you have asked this very ques-tion at some point in your military career. Before I give you the answer to

that question I’ll provide some possible answers.

Many of you will undoubtedly say that the goal of the Safety Program is zero accidents or injuries. Some will respond with what is found in the regu-lation about Safety, most notably that in the event of an accident or injury we must determine what happened, why it happened and what can be done to avoid similar accidents in the future.

To understand what a good Safety Program is all about you have to go back to before an accident occurred and look at some of the factors that were in place that lead up to that accident. All of the acci-dents that have occurred since we have arrived here in Kosovo have had several contributing factors.

The most frequent factor in vehicle accidents has been vehicle clearance and following distance, which was a factor in at least 13 accidents. The next is the Standing Operating Procedure(SOP) which was either not present or not followed, this was a factor in eight accidents. The third most common factor was the awareness of the senior vehicle occupant or passengers, this was a factor in six accidents. The fourth most common factor was a tie between vehicle speed and failure to use ground guides at five

occurrences. If you look at all of those factors you will notice that they come from a variety of sources, not just the individual behind the wheel.

So, What is the Safety Program is all about? It is about develop-ing a culture of safety throughout the organi-zation. To implement a culture of safety you must realize that we all have a part in contribut-ing to, or avoiding accidents. As you can see from the accidents that have occurred so far is that there have been mistakes made by multiple individuals. Had a change been made by any of those individuals the accident may not have happened.

Taking this to the opposite extreme shows us that one or two more mistakes in any of those accidents could have led to an even worse outcome. Accidents don’t just happen, many factors contribute to both the event of the accident and its severity. Each of us is responsible to do our part to take the time to analyze each mission and implement controls that will ensure safe mission accomplishment.

Safety Roundup

Maj. Peter KitzhaberSafety Officer

Developing a Culture of Safety

Grand Rounds Spreads Medical Knowledge Maj. (Dr.) Vivek Parwani Task Force Medical, right, teaches a class on the lat-est time- and cost-effective emergency room practices to a group of doctors and nurses from Dr. Sami Hax-hibeqiri Regional Hospital in Mitrovica, Feb. 9, 2012. TF Med conducts Grand Rounds trips approxi-mately every other week to several hospitals through-out the Multinational Battle Group East region to teach Kosovo medical staff the latest medical advances. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Jim Wagner)


For the past five months, the Soldiers of KFOR15 have lived with weeks of perpetual Mondays. Most of us work straight through the weeks with a day off here or there – but

not really the “freedom” to have a day off. Without complaining about it (we all volunteered for this gig, right?)

I think most will agree that they like the job they do, but it is utterly exhausting! Just this past week-end I was among Soldiers that worked 17 hours on Friday, 12 hours on Saturday and 11 on Sunday with being back to work on Monday morning! With that said, you might be wondering what keeps us going (besides lots of coffee).

Yoga has been the source of my energy, my focus, my relaxation and my self-examination. Two years ago I decided that I would dedicate myself to a yoga practice since I’ve been in serious need of stress release both mentally and physically in both my job and personal life.

I found a yoga studio that is right down the road from me and it happened to be a hot yoga studio. Hot yoga is done in a room heated to about 100 degrees with high humidity. The theory behind the high heat

is that it will allow the body to move deeper into postures and further enhance the physical transcen-dence and spiritual awakening. Bottom line, it’s a crazy, intense and fully satisfying workout and heal-ing process.

Without having that option here in Kosovo, I decided that maybe I can focus my practice into help-ing others find their true inner-selves through yoga. This entire weekend of work, I couldn’t wait to teach to my Tuesday yoga power vinyasa (a vinyasa is just another word for a series or flow of poses).

I was so incredibly stressed from this weekend and once I unrolled my yoga mat, I immediately felt the stress start to melt away. The first moments of class are spent reflecting on our practice and decid-ing who or what to dedicate our session to.

Today’s class I was selfish and dedicated it to myself and my desire to relax and let the past week-end go. Most classes I dedicate it to someone I know who needs some positive thoughts and healing. The thought behind the self-healing aspect is to do your practice with no thoughts other than being in the present, forget work and don’t think about what you have to do tomorrow, or the next.

Alongside my fellow Soldiers, I lead them through challenging poses that make them not only think about how to place your body, but how to focus and move our bodies in the ways they are supposed to move!

We sweat buckets, exert ourselves through power vinyasa flows and I think most of my students will agree that they are able to put their bodies in crazy poses that they never thought were possible – head stands, crane balancing poses and feet and hands in all different directions. At the end of the class the

story by Capt. Sarah Moore

Yoga Helps Take Stress Out of Deployment



The

End

reflection and the real healing of checking in with the body and telling yourself that all is good in the world and we are all exactly where we are supposed to be.

If you think that you can’t do yoga because you “aren’t flexible”, then I challenge you to give it a try. I have found that this practice is something I can believe in and feel the benefits from. I’m all around a happier person, and the back pain I get has lessened during my months of practice. I stand a little straighter and smile a lot more.

It makes me see the world in a different light and see that most things that previously upset me in life are not worth the energy to get upset at. It may not be for every-

one, but it’s brought happiness and a sense of well being to me in times of craziness, and that’s some-thing we all could try to practice.

Namaste.


Soldiers from Multinational Battle Group East perform a va-riety of yoga poses during class on March 1. Capt. Sarah Moore teaches yoga at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday's and Thurs-day's at the Camp Bondsteel Theater in South-town. (U.S. Army photos by Capt. Joy Staab)


PAO is looking for photos of your experiences in Kosovo for possible inclusion in The Guardian. Email your submissions to SFC Jim Wagner in Global or call x5204.

A dominant feature to the west of Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo, is Mount Lubijan, or Mount Duke, as U.S. Soldiers commonly refer to the mountain. (Photo courtesy U.S. Army Sgt. Bryan Winker)

Despite the cold weather, U.S. Soldiers run the perimeter of Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo. (Photo courtesy U.S. Army Sgt. Steven Crady.)

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