Back home from Kosovo

A National Guardsman reflects on his time overseas

By Queenie Wong

Eating dinner with the Polish army isn't what most people have in mind when they think of the holidays.

But that's exactly what Virginia National Guard Maj. Steve Funkhouser did last Christmas Eve when he was stationed in Kosovo.

This year Funkhouser, who returned from Kosovo last month, plans to have a more traditional Christmas celebration.

"It's been fun getting home and getting to know my kids again, spending time with my wife and family," said Funkhouser, of Fairfield.

"For me the couch has been great," he joked.

Funkhouser, 38, arrived at Camp Bondsteel in Kosovo in November 2006. He left behind his wife and twin daughters, who were 4 at the time. Living conditions at the Army base were moderate compared to the conditions outside the base. Kosovo doesn't have a source of sustainable electricity, he said.

The Virginia National Guard served as part of NATO's Kosovo Force (KFOR), an international force responsible for establishing and maintaining security there. Kosovo, part of Serbia, has been under the administration of the United Nations since the end of violent conflict in 1999.

Last month, more than 400 Virginia National Guard soldiers returned home just in time to celebrate Thanksgiving.

The goal of the mission was to mitigate the ethnic tensions between the Serbians and Albanians, who have been taught since birth to hate one another, Funkhouser said.

Funkhouser oversaw the Liaison Monitoring Team, which was made up of about 90 U.S. troops —  predominantly from the Virginia National Guard  —  and 56 foreign soldiers. His job, in addition to immersing himself in the Albanian and Serbian cultures, was to compile a daily report for the commander of KFOR. The report would contain information about methods that were and were not working for the people of Kosovo.

Funkhouser said he believes that the team brought something unique to NATO's peacekeeping mission. Because the National Guard is made up of people from different backgrounds  –  from teachers to farmers  –  they were able to use these skills to help the Kosovo people.

Prior to serving on the mission, Funkhouser worked as an investigator for the Rockbridge County Sheriff's office  —  a job he plans to return to.

"I kind of equate it to being a community police officer in some regards," he said. "You get to know something in your community, and when something's different you know it without having to be told."

Working with the Albanian and Serbian school children was probably the most rewarding experience of the 12-month mission, Funkhouser said.

He recalled the look on the Albanian principal's face when he told him that they were planning to bring in Serbian children to play with the Albanian children. That helped the adults realize that ethnic differences don't really matter, he said.

But the mission was also a lot of hard work, Funkhouser said. Every day, the Liaison Monitoring Team compiled a report consisting of about 60 to 70 pages.

The soldiers often compared the mission jokingly to being on work release from jail.

"You come back and live in your jail every night and then you leave and you go out of the compound and you work all day and then you come back," he said.

Funkhouser has served with the Virginia National Guard for the last 19 years.

Produced by Washington and Lee journalism students.

Lead Supervisor:     
Prof. Brian Richardson
Prof. Phylissa Mitchell

Reporting supervisors:
Prof. Doug Cumming
Prof. Pamela Luecke

Technical supervisor: Michael Todd