Currently Finnish peacekeepers operating in the KFOR operation, form the Finnish Detachment in Kosovo. They serve as staff officers at KFOR's headquarter and a small National Support Element in Pristina. 

Finland participated in the NATO-led KFOR operation with significant force shortly after its launch in the summer of 1999. In the beginning the battalion was operating from Camp Ville in Lipljan. After the end of the conflict and the strengthening of Kosovo's social structures, the force and operating models of both KFOR and the Finns have been reassessed on numerous occasions over the years and Camp Ville was closed down in 2010. Only The Finnish Liaison and Monitoring Team (LMT) and few staff officers remained in the operation. Currently, the Finnish Detachment in Kosovo, comprises 20 soldiers. 

The Finnish LMT operated in central Kosovo from 2009 to 2018. The group lived in the field house and worked as part of the community in its area of operation, gathering up-to-date information on the state of society for operational planning and decisionmaking at KFOR HQ level. 

The LMT's strong military expertise with both professional and reserve officers, as well as the team's diverse background ensured the team's ability to produce a comprehensive overall situational awareness within its area of operation. The range of members of the group was wide, including not only soldiers but also civilian experts in their field, such as teachers, paramedics, lawyers, engineers, and social and business scientists. 

Also Finnish female officers acted as liaison officers; it was often easier for them to talk to local women and girls and report on their views. The team's equal working methods also gathered positive attention and good feedback from the locals over the years the Finnish LMT was deployed. Finnish liaison officers gained a positive and professional reputation in the local communities. This also reflected in the remarkable kindness and hospitality of the residents towards the members of the team, which certainly left an indelible mark on all Finns who worked in Kosovo. Nowadays Finnish staff officers are serving in different branches in KFOR headquarters. The purpose and objective is to gain working experience for the Finns from a multinational NATO led operation. The requirement to work in the multinational environment is to be able socialize with people with different nationalities having diverse backgrounds both inside and outside of working hours. 

Jarmo HOLOPAINEN 
OF-4 (FIN-A) 
JEC CIMIC CHIEF
KFOR HQ