More than a decade after the war, Kosovo gives the impression of being a calm and safe country. But this may be only an appearance. Some areas are enclaves of organized crime. That is why soldiers of the maneuver company support Polish police officers by demonstrating their military presence throughout Kosovo. A permanent element of this is daily patrol duty, carried out not only along the unpaved roads of Kosovo’s mountainous areas but also in urban terrain.
Preparation for each patrol follows a very specific procedure. “I check the readiness of the soldiers taking part in the patrol. I define the patrol’s objective and the procedure to follow in the event of a crisis,” says the commander of one of the patrols, Second Lieutenant Michał Fedorowicz.
During a patrol conducted in an urban area, it is very important to become familiar in advance with the street system, the characteristics of housing estates, and the types of buildings in shopping areas and peripheral districts. There are a dozen or so points in the patrol area that need to be monitored. Reaching these points is often made difficult by heavy traffic, poor road surfaces, or earth embankments. That is why the observations passed on by soldiers who served in the previous rotation proved very helpful.
No negative incidents involving Polish soldiers have been recorded recently. Nevertheless, conducting patrols in urban areas carries considerable risk. High temperatures affect drivers’ ability to maintain concentration during hours of driving through the city’s congested streets. Kosovo’s residents pose a constant danger on the roads. The way people drive on local roads differs considerably from the safety standards followed in Poland. “Maintaining constant radio contact is a very important element of every patrol. I always exchange brief information with the commanders of the individual vehicles concerning threats and observations. I assign them tasks. This makes it easier for us to move through the congested urban environment,” adds Second Lieutenant Michał Fedorowicz.
Residents of Kosovo have repeatedly thanked the Polish soldiers for their service. A handshake, a sincere smile, or words of appreciation—even in Polish—appear to be expressions of goodwill and approval of their presence in Kosovo.
por. Damian Antonik/ii