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It would be impossible to try and explain the politics and events that led to my unit being deployed to Kosovo in July 1999. In the spring of 1999, NATO, led by the US, went to war with the Former Yugoslav Republic. After a peace treaty was agreed on, NATO sent in the peacekeepers. The Army was led by the "Big Red One" - the First Infantry Division, of which my unit, the 121st Signal Battalion, was a part. So it was that in the summer of 1999, I found myself on my first "real world" deployment. With apologies to Teresa Scott, my unit was part of the first peacekeeping rotation, which meant that facilities were pretty much nonexistent. I didn't really know what to expect, I just went with the thinking that I was going to go, do my 6 months, come home and get on with my life. Little did I know that the time I spent in Kosovo, the things I saw, and the people I met would change how I looked at life forever. I actually enjoyed my time there. I was fortunate to see and do things that other people in my unit weren't able to, so I was lucky. There were times when things were so dangerous that it scared the hell out of you, and there were days that were so boring that you longed for some action or even a little danger just to liven things up. It wasn't much fun, and there were alot of miserable days. But when it's all said and done, a place like that makes you realize how lucky you are. I've compiled my Kosovo experience in a somewhat rudimentary chronological story, complete with the inevitable pictures. I've minimized most of it, since it's one of those "you-had-to-be-there" kind of things, so my apologies if you're left unsatiated at the conclusion. If you really want to hear some Kosovo stories (the more interesting ones), buy me a beer sometime and I'll be happy to share them... ty
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