The halfway point of the deployment of the maneuver company of the 28th rotation of the Polish Military Contingent in Kosovo is approaching. In addition to carrying out mandate tasks at bases in northern Kosovo, the daily activities of Polish soldiers at Camp Bondsteel, where the contingent is stationed, focus on conducting synchronized ABL (Administrative Boundary Line) patrols with soldiers of the Serbian Army along the Kosovo–Serbia border.
Each patrol is preceded by a detailed reconnaissance of the patrol route, given that the KFOR Polish Military Contingent maneuver company is identifying new areas and routes for further operational activity. In addition, the tasks for each ABL patrol are precisely defined in orders and directives and continuously monitored by the TOC (Tactical Operations Center) and JOC (Joint Operations Center).
The main tasks of synchronized ABL patrols include ensuring security and compliance with international agreements in the area of the Serbia–Kosovo border, exchanging information on an ongoing basis with Serbian Army soldiers regarding the maintenance of security along the patrol route, responding to cases of law violations in border areas, and demonstrating the military presence of KFOR forces.
The new patrol routes are generally located in difficult-to-access areas, which is why the vast majority of patrols are conducted on foot. A patrol route averages 8–10 kilometers through mountainous border terrain. Proper logistical support is an indispensable element of every ABL patrol. While carrying out their tasks, Polish soldiers have direct contact with Serbian Army soldiers and the local population.
It is worth emphasizing that all sides of the conflict in Kosovo show respect and sympathy at every turn for the uniform of the Polish soldier. During patrols, soldiers of the maneuver company of the 28th rotation of the KFOR Polish Military Contingent also regularly observe the effects of the armed conflict that took place in Kosovo, including destroyed buildings, poverty, and abandoned structures in the area of the border with Serbia.
The KFOR Polish Military Contingent in Kosovo is carrying out a stabilization mission and forms part of the Multinational Battle Group – East. As part of its operational activities, the Polish contingent performs tasks involving monitoring compliance with international agreements and treaties in order to create conditions for safe coexistence and the normalization of the situation in its area of responsibility.
The core of the new, 28th rotation of the Polish Military Contingent in Kosovo consists of soldiers from the 23rd Silesian Artillery Regiment from Bolesławiec—the unit responsible for forming and preparing the contingent—as well as the Special Branch of the Military Police from Mińsk Mazowiecki and the 1st Storage Battalion from Olsztyn, belonging to the 1st Logistics Brigade.
(information: Second Lieutenant Jacek Wójcik/ii)