Camp Monteith
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United States Army (1999–2007)
Kosovo Security Forces (2007–present)
commanderBerat Shala
| Camp Monteith | |
|---|---|
| Gjilan, Kosovo | |
A blindfolded KLA prisoner awaits interrogation at Camp Monteith in June 1999 | |
| Site information | |
| Type | Military base |
| Controlled by | United States Marine Corps (1999) United States Army (1999–2007) Kosovo Security Forces (2007–present) |
| Location | |
| Site history | |
| In use | 1999–present |
| Garrison information | |
| Current commander | Berat Shala |
Camp Monteith is a Kosovo Security Force base in Gjilan, Kosovo, about 20 miles (32 km) east of Camp Bondsteel. A former Yugoslav artillery outpost and 79 parcels of private land, the area was taken over by U.S. Marines and used as a base of operation during the Kosovo War of 1999. The camp was named after Jimmie W. Monteith, who received the Medal of Honor for heroism in France during World War II. At its peak, the camp housed 2000 soldiers and civilian contractors. Established in June 1999 to be used as a staging point for the bulk of U.S. forces stationed in the Multi National Brigade-East. Initially occupied by U.S. Marines, over the past seven years successive rotations of U.S. Army soldiers have used the camp as part of NATO’s KFOR.
The base camp originally consisted of one main building, used as a command post and makeshift interrogation center, as well as a few small outbuildings that had been stripped by retreating Yugoslav forces. The other buildings were destroyed previously by bombing during Operation Allied Force.