Future Perspectives

Brig. Gen. Robert Bund commands the 2,200 soldiers that make up the German contingent in the NATO-led Kosovo Protection Force (KFOR).

DW-WORLD.DE: How did you prepare yourself personally for your role as leader of the German contingent in Kosovo?

Robert Bund: I consider myself generally well prepared, especially in the area of leadership, as a result of my previous career assignments during my 40 years of service with the Bundeswehr. Moving through the various ranks from company commander [who is in charge of up to 200 servicemen and women] all the way up to brigade commander [who is responsible for some 5,000 soldiers], you gain so much experience that you should be ready to successfully confront all the challenges of a foreign operation.

Like any other soldier, I went through the whole range of preparatory training for this mission. One hostage exercise we did left an impression. Role-players had to act as realistically as possible and were constantly monitored by psychologists.

To round off my technical preparation, I studied the history and the political and social conditions in Kosovo intensively. And, of course, there were intensive talks with my wife and our children as well as with the members of my home church, the Free Protestant Church, to emotionally prepare me for my long tour. Support from family and community makes it easier to take on the burdens of an operation abroad and the separation from home and it can be transformed into something positive.

How do you motivate your troops?

The leadership principle that I try to put into practice is based on two pillars. The first pillar is trust.

I treat all servicemen and women with unrestricted trust. This means that I take each one seriously as an individual -- with their questions, problems and specialized knowledge. Every single soldier is a specialist in his or her field, and I put my trust in their skills, even in our daily contact with each other. But this trust also means that each person must be aware of their responsibility, too, and has to act accordingly -- that is, responsibly. I firmly demand this of everyone.

The second pillar is comradeship. Back in Germany, comradeship is a basic principle, but it plays a much more important role in a foreign operation. I see comradeship as independent of rank or chain of command. A particularly important point for me in this respect is looking after each other, taking notice of and dealing with one another in a positive manner and being aware of when others need help.

In addition, I continually try to get a feel for the general mood, take notice of problems and explain my position on a whole range of different issues during our meetings. In other words, I try to stay in touch with my soldiers.

I also make use of the camp's radio station, where all soldiers have the opportunity to ask questions on the air or in writing. I respond to them during a question-and-answer broadcast called "Commander on Air."

What have you learned about the culture in Kosovo? Which aspects interest you the most?

I am most interested in the evolution of the political process. Europe and the US have clearly expressed their positions on the matter and the people in Kosovo put all their trust in the support from these countries -- and their expectations are high.

I have learned that these people are highly aware of their situation. They know that never before in their history have they been so close to a potentially historic decision and that anything that deviates from normalcy would jeopardize the current decision process, possibly setting it back for years. However, they're not going to wait forever. That is why we assess the situation as calm but not stable.

I have also learned that the people in Kosovo are among the youngest in Europe. The average age of the Kosovo Albanians is about 27 years. This means that economic development over the next few years is extremely important. Only a significant improvement of the living conditions can prevent the young people from joining more radical movements. Improvement means secure electrical power supply 24 hours a day and modern roads and railway connections to the outside world.

What surprised me is the way Islam is practiced here. Here in Kosovo I was able to gain insight into Islamic practices through my many meetings with religious leaders.

I was very impressed that, when the Catholic bishop consecrated a new altar, members off different faiths attended the mass and ate together afterwards.

On the whole, the people in Kosovo want to finally decide for themselves about their future after their long and, at times, tragic history.

What is the everyday routine like for you and your soldiers?

The daily routine of my soldiers varies greatly, depending on their respective tasks. But the overall conditions are the same for all of them. Every soldier without shift duty, night-time operations or other duties works Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., but there are many who work beyond that. On Saturday, we start an hour later and on Sunday duty is from 1:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Another special thing on Sunday is that, at 11:00, we hold our religious service in our small church, which was built by our soldiers a few years ago. We are always accompanied by our church choir, which I sing in myself.

My own daily routine depends on whether talks with politicians or other people are on my schedule. The morning hours are especially important to me because I can prepare myself for the tasks ahead. A half hour of Bible study helps me get into the mood to go to work.

After that, I have various appointments that are coordinated by my military assistant and aide de camp. There are negotiations with civic representatives, briefings with my advisors and commanders and, of course, visits with the troops at the different field camps in and around Prizren.

Normally, I am busy every day from about 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. But, of course, I am available for all members of the German contingent outside those hours, too.

What is your personal goal in Kosovo? What do you want to leave behind?

The most important goal is get all servicemen and women home again safely.

Apart from that, I want to contribute to seeing our mission accomplished as well as possible. To ensure a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement for all ethnic groups. That the people of Kosovo have a positive perspective on their future, and that our servicemen and women are recognized for continuing the tradition of their predecessor under the motto "helping others help themselves."

I want to ensure that, within the framework of our civil-military cooperation, we continue to contribute to the building of a Kosovar society and, above all, give the children a better future by building schools and helping them with job qualifications.

Apart from our military mission we have been able to directly help people living below the poverty threshold with a variety of initiatives supported by donations from Germany. In addition, we've been able to provide school materials to students.

If this has succeeded in assuring the survival of at least a few people or facilitated learning, it is a big enough legacy.