Aaron F. Whitlock
My Experience in Kosovo | 19 April 2024
Diverse skillsets or lack thereof are what will make and break officers in today’s military. No longer is it important to know only infantry tactics or strategic air power doctrine. The world we live in is vastly different from the world our forefathers knew. New ways to communicate are rapidly expanding into every corner of the globe. Concurrently, new global threats are manifesting each day. In this new age, we must take our allies’ and partners’ security threats as seriously as our own. We truly live in an international community.
Recently, I had the pleasure of entering into this international community as a representative of the United States of America, United States Space Force, Norwich University, and Norwich University Peace and War Center at the Kosovo Defense Academy in Prishtina, Kosovo. I was able to train with, and more importantly, become acquainted with our Balkan allies and their cultures. On the surface, the opportunity fostered international cooperation and friendship with our joint partners in the Balkan region. More importantly, however, it gave me a deeper understanding of the variety of cultures and ethnicities that are embedded deep in Kosovo’s national identity.
Intercultural competence is one of the greatest tools that the modern officer can have in their toolbox. The ability to communicate effectively across linguistic and cultural barriers will prove to be paramount in the joint battlespace, even for Space Force guardians like me. Exposure to different cultures than our own help create better, more informed, and aware leaders. To know your enemy is one thing, but to know yourself is much more important. Our partners’ capabilities abroad are an extension of our own capabilities, and vice versa. I would argue that to be a good officer, you must be a good communicator, and this excursion facilitated the perfect environment to better that skill on an international and intercultural level.
Photo captions from top left to bottom right:
-American, Canadian, and Kosovar cadets at Prizren Fortress, a hilltop fortification that overlooks the Prizren River and Prizren, Kosovo.
-Cadet delegates from the Albanian, Canadian, Kosovar, North Macedonian, and Turkish Military Academies, as well as Norwich University.
-Captain Bajram Geci addresses cadets in the Šar Mountains near Kosovo’s border with Albania and North Macedonia.
-A cadet from the Kosovo Defense Academy escorts a Norwich cadet through the garden adjacent to the National University Library of Kosovo "Pjetër Bogdani" in Prishtina, Kosovo.
Photo captions from left to right: Cadet Gabriella and I with switched covers.; Overview of Prizren from ancient castle.; Hike to highest peak. Cadets complete this hike their 4th year.
Ana Lemler
Kosovo & A Changed Perspective | 24 April 2024
After a lot of preparation and anxious flights, I walked past the passport verification into the luggage claim and greeted the uniformed officers waiting for us. “Welcome to Kosovo.” The friendly greeting was the prelude to all the incredible hospitality they would give us. Professor Morris had graciously extended the opportunity to attend the International Cadet’s Week hosted by Kosovo to Cadet Whitlock and myself, but at first, I was apprehensive to take it. I had never travelled internationally before and the week I would return would be only days before finals began. More importantly, I had never been to Kosovo or even heard of it before. I was worried, but I was determined to take up Prof. Morris’s offer because I didn’t want to regret not going or risk losing any other future opportunities that might arise from going, I took a leap of faith and boarded the plane at JFK, nervous but excited for my first taste of another country.
Although I could go on for pages on the experience itself, I’ll examine it briefly to expand on its effect on me. Five countries attended: Türkiye, Albania, North Macedonia, Canada, and the US. Each delegation sent two cadets representing their military college or academy. We discussed the differences of the systems designing our officer training and education, toured the current and ancient capitals, visited other military bases, and hiked to the highest peak in Kosovo. More important than what I did were the connections I made with the other cadets. It taught me how people-centric the military is and the similarities between how they function. I made lifelong friends, family, and people I can rely on through anything.
Meeting other officers and those training to be officers changed my perspective on the career field. I always thought of officers as leaders before friends and intelligent, dutiful workers. However, after going to Kosovo, I’ve realized the importance of interpersonal interactions with the people you are charged to lead. That personal connection to others vastly improves morale and performance within a platoon, company, and other positions officers hold. Knowing those I lead allows me to utilize their strengths more effectively and act appropriately in addressing any problem or order that may be passed down. The cadets in Kosovo and other countries had more training in the field than me, allowing them to act more efficiently.
Outside of learning how the military is a “people business”, travelling abroad has given me a broader perspective on conflicts worldwide. Kosovo and the rest of the Balkans is still healing from the past war current friction with Serbia, supported by Russia. Going there showed me the effects of war, and the resiliency of the people to rebuild their country in less than twenty years. The cities were still being rebuilt, but the people were joyful and animated. The country that had been bombed beyond recognition had grown into a beautiful and proud land with democratic and religious freedoms once forbidden under Serbian occupation. Though the border is still under stress, the people continue to thrive.
What surprised me more than the cultural friction was how these people could rebuild. While visiting Prizren, the old Albanian capital, you could view the cityscape pan out into the plains with thousands of houses and mosque spires. Realizing that all of it had been built in the past decades was humbling and inspiring. Some of the buildings remained in their collapsed, bombarded ruins, but the fact remained that these people were never going to give up who they were. The museum we visited had been looted like many other locations during the 1999 conflict. By now, most of the Serbs had fled. But, as emblazoned on their flag with six stars, Kosovars hope for a return of the glorious Albanian state by joining hands with the other states and seeking peace. That collective dream is a vision long lost in America.
The ability to view countries and global relations with a broader lens will make me a more effective officer because I will be able to read situations from an outside perspective. Going to Kosovo, training with them, and finding a family gave me a more thorough view on how America deals with foreign relations and the importance America has in international affairs. Many people we met would greet us because of the respect they had for the military. It was an assurance that the career I had chosen was truly one of service. Although the military is more complicated in the US with many branches and a myriad of options for jobs, there is an overlying sense of service when ensuring domestic security or providing international aid. That is what I believe our military does best: serve.
This cultural exchange only lasted four days, but the connections I made will last a lifetime. These people make me a more effective officer because they share a part of life with me that I would be ignorant about without them. Many come from devastation with their parents participating, fleeing, and living during the war. These people were tough, but they still knew kindness. Their optimistic outlook has tinted mine a bit more vibrantly and made my thoughts adhere to another style by focusing solely on a single task. I’ve promised to meet them again in a few years, regardless of where life has taken us.
There are dozens of conflicts like this across the world, but most of us in the West are focused on Israel or Ukraine. It is important to understand that conflicts don’t end just because the media doesn’t cover them. I was able to learn more about a diverse group of people, feel their pride in their countries, and grow with them as we exchanged cultural and military facts. I will never forget the people I met or the lessons they taught me.
Exceptional experiential learning and in Kosovo! I am glad you both went and explained the significance of your visit.