HOHENFELS-Germany, Before she taught government officials, military leaders and security advisors, Valbona Zeneli began her journey as a translator for a U.S. Army commander in NATO’s Kosovo Force (KFOR). Today, she is the Chair of Strategic Engagements and Professor of National Security Studies at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies.

On October 17, 2022, over twenty years later, Zeneli returned to Joint Multinational Readiness Center (JRMC) in Germany to visit Task Force Nighthawk, the unit training to be the U.S. Army’s 31st rotation as a part of KFOR.

“It was very cold and there was a lot of snow,” said Zeneli about her first experience in January 2002. She had just finished her bachelor’s degree in economics at the University of Bologna, in Italy, and was participating gin an internship in Munich when she seized the opportunity.

The cold weather did not stop the native Albanian’s curiosity toward stability missions in the Balkans. Instead her experience sparked a lifelong passion in civil-military relations.

“I started to understand not just defense and security… but also the world differently after that experience,” she continued.

Today, at the Marshall Center, she and her colleagues work towards providing students shared understanding in order to build more peaceful and cooperative environments across the globe, particularly in the western Balkans, which is a priority region for the institute.

The Marshall Center is a bi-national security and defense studies hosted by the United States Department of Defense and the German Federal Ministry of Defense.

The Marshall Center, located in Garisch-Paretnkicrhcen, Germany, hosts courses on variety of topics to include cyber security, countering transnational organized crime, organizations, regional security studies and more. It also has a network of over 15,000 alumni who hope to educate, engage, and empower the future leaders in Europe and across the globe.

During her visit to JRMC, Zelenli was impressed. “The work being done to train and that exercises are put together to replicate and understand the environment in Kosovo and the region is very important.”

Prior to assuming the KFOR mission, all U.S. Army units conduct training at JMRC on tactical and operational challenges they could experience while deployed.

The 15-day exercise begins with 10 days of specialty training on areas such as crowd and riot control, “fire phobia” training, cultural awareness, and civil patrolling and culminates 5-day mission readiness exercise.

According to Zeneli, who also served as an advisor to the Albanian Prime Minister, “the United States and NATO are pillars of both stability and transformation in a region that still has many pockets of uncertainty. The role of KFOR in Kosovo is critical and provides the umbrella of stability and security and supports the goal of a Europe whole and free and at peace. The U.S. is steadfast in its efforts of bringing stability and security to the region and emphasizing the importance of democratic reforms and economic development.”

Zeleni observed Operation Bronze Shield where the Task Force Nighthawk reacted a mock riot and had to recover isolated personnel and local leaders. She also sat down with the Commander of Task Force Nighthawk to discuss the importance of the mission.

As the day came to a close, Zeleni was asked about one of the biggest changes she observed, “The military is much more prepared, the level of readiness is much more advanced.”