Alaska connection comes full circle during Area Support Group Balkans assumption of command

CAMP BONDSTEEL, Kosovo — A decades-long connection between Alaska and Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo, came full circle June 29 as Alaska Army National Guard Col. Kurt Rorvik assumed command of Area Support Group-Balkans during a ceremony presided over by Maj. Gen. Michael Lalor, commanding general of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command.

For Rorvik, whose previous assignment was deputy chief of staff and senior Guard advisor for Alaskan Command at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, the assignment carries a unique significance. Camp Bondsteel is named for Medal of Honor recipient Staff Sgt. James L. Bondsteel, who retired from the Army at Fort Richardson, remained in Alaska following his military service and is buried at Fort Richardson National Cemetery.

As he prepared to assume command in Kosovo, Rorvik reflected on that connection.

“Last month, I had the opportunity on the annual Memorial Day service at Fort Richardson National Cemetery,” Rorvik said. “While there, I had the distinct honor to visit the grave of Master Sgt. James L. Bondsteel.”

Rorvik said learning more about Bondsteel’s life reinforced the legacy behind the installation’s name.

“What I found out was, like a lot of service members who have been awarded the Medal of Honor, he was just an ordinary Soldier who did some absolutely extraordinary things far beyond the call of duty when his nation called upon him to act and his fellow Soldiers needed him in that moment,” he said.

Bondsteel earned the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Vietnam War. Following his retirement from the Army in 1985, he settled in Alaska, and continued serving fellow veterans as a Veterans Affairs counselor in Anchorage. In 1987, Bondsteel was tragically killed in a vehicle accident, and was laid to rest at Fort Richardson National Cemetery. His legacy is also recognized in Alaska through the Sergeant James Bondsteel Bridge of Honor spanning the Knik River, further linking his name to the state he called home.

Rorvik said Bondsteel’s legacy continues to shape the culture of the installation that bears his name.

“I’ve only been here a short time, but I’ve already witnessed those principles of dedication, teamwork, and taking pride in service to others throughout this camp,” he said. “It’s only fitting that his name was chosen for this base.”

Lalor formally transferred command of Area Support Group-Balkans to Rorvik. The organization provides installation support and sustainment for U.S. forces stationed throughout Kosovo and the Balkans region in support of the NATO-led Kosovo Force mission.

Lalor said the work performed by ASG Balkans extends beyond installation support and contributes to the long-term stability of the region.

“This work is rooted in a shared history of preserving peace, building harmony, and preserving stability in the Balkans,” Lalor said. “And that’s been going on here at Camp Bondsteel now for 27 years, and in this region, going back over 30 years.”

Looking ahead, Rorvik emphasized the importance of the people serving across Camp Bondsteel.

“Our success is not because of our vehicles, helicopters, advanced weapon systems,” he said. “It’s because of the tremendous dedication, initiative, and leadership of our people to accomplish the mission and get the job done day in and day out.”

The ceremony also reflected Alaska’s enduring connection to Camp Bondsteel. Soldiers from the Alaska Army National Guard’s 134th Public Affairs Detachment have supported KFOR Regional Command-East from Camp Bondsteel since February. Their deployment continues the legacy of Alaska Army National Guard service in Kosovo that includes the 2009 deployment of 1st Battalion, 207th Aviation Regiment and the 2019-2020 deployment of the 1st Battalion, 297th Infantry Regiment.

Rorvik’s assumption of command represents the latest chapter in the longstanding relationship between Alaska and Camp Bondsteel, linking the legacy of Master Sgt. James L. Bondsteel with today’s Alaska Soldiers serving in Kosovo in support of the NATO-led Kosovo Force mission.