Camp Bondsteel

Camp Bondsteel is the main military base run by the United States of America under the KFOR (Kosovo Force) laws and regulations. KFOR is responsible for maintaining the peace in the problematic area of Europe. It is located in the eastern side of the country, close to Urosevac. It is also the host for the KFOR headquarters. The place is named in the memory of James L. Bondsteel, an American sergeant who was awarded with the Medal of Honor for his missions throughout the Vietnam War.

Construction

The base was constructed by the 94-th Engineer Construction Battalion, in a tight collaboration with KBR (Kellogg, Brown and Root Corporation). As a matter of fact, KBR also owns the rights for this place, although it is a private company. The base is built in a hilly area, therefore in order to flatten the site, the workers had to “eliminate” two high hills. At the same time, the valley separating the hills had to be filled with various materials. The facilities on site are not among the best when it comes to the buildings and the overall site. Most of them are built of wood. There are also plenty of SEA (South East Asia) huts all over the camp. It is protected by a 2.5 m high wall made out of earth. Overall, the site covers a little over 950 acres and among its most important features, you can count 52 different helipads.

Facilities

Able to host more than 7000 troops on site, Camp Bondsteel is currently the largest and widest base run by the United States of America in the Balkans. Since the lifestyle there is different than what the troops are used to, the authorities provide a wide variety of facilities to make them feel like home. The post exchange located on site is currently the largest in the eastern part of Europe. It is hosted in two large buildings and includes anything you can think of, from furniture, clothes, books and DVDs to TVs, phones, computers and food. The officials also claim to host the most advanced hospital in Kosovo, although most natives doubt about it. Other than that, the recreational options are widely diversified – a gym, a theater, two recreational facilities with pool tables, Internet and video games, a local chapel, dining facilities, as well as fire and police stations. The troops hosted at Camp Bondsteel can always relax in the restaurants, bars and pubs around, not to mention about the Thai massage offices run by professional Thai women.

General problems

Camp Bondsteel has often been accused of using the territory for severe and harsh detention facilities. A human rights officer called this place a less significant version of Guantanamo. The Council of Europe and Germany have constantly accused the United States of America for the illegal activities taking place on site. The USA denied the accusations.

Housing

All the troops are automatically hosted inside Camp Bondsteel due to the insecure position of Kosovo in Europe. They are not allowed to bring in their families.