Blog Posts tagged with "Kucova"

U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Amy McCall greets children at the school opening in Kucova, Albania.

We traveled to Albania Sept. 14, 2009 to witness the grand opening of the newly renovated Kucove (Ku-cho-va) Elementary School. Along with the U.S. European Command’s Office of Defense Cooperation and U.S. Charge d’Affairs, we made our way to Kucove and after a 2 ½ hour drive arrived to the sight of 200 young students waving U.S. and Albanian flags in the yard of their newly renovated school. As we toured the grounds and met our Albanian hosts we immediately became aware of the deep admiration Albanians feel for the United States. More than admiration- to use their words- “love” for the United States and all Americans.

What we learned during our 2-day visit is that Albania feels indebted to the U.S. To a person, they cite President Wilson’s support for Albania’s independence in 1919 at the conclusion of World War I. His staunch determination in the face of attempts by other countries to divide and annex this seaside and mountainous land and its people has not been forgotten. Albanian’s remain eternally grateful to the U.S. for this momentous decision and its continued support.

We were honored to represent our country and the U.S. European Command at this event. After the speeches and ribbon cutting by the school director, the Mayor of Kucove, and the US Charge d’ Affairs, the children entered the beautiful school with a new roof, playground, plumbing, heating, and fire escapes (one of only three schools in Albania with such safety provisions). The project was nominated by the Office of Defense Cooperation and U.S. Embassy in Tirana, approved and funded by the U.S. European Command, and managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers using local Albanian contractors and locally purchased materials.

After gaining an appreciation for the strong ties that bind Americans and Albanians, we believe that this school is a wise investment in the future of our relationship and will serve the educational needs of Kucove’s children for years to come. Generations of families attended the school opening including many who were previous graduates from the elementary school and who now have children attending the school. Both the School Director and the Mayor who were in attendance at the ceremony are graduates of the school.

The real measure of success for the U.S. European Command is our ability to reinforce President Wilson’s message from many years ago and to make Albania’s youngest generation aware of this commitment. US support for Albania’s accession to NATO and projects such as the renovation of this school in Kucove communicate this message. We believe in the strength of Albania as a nation state, a NATO ally and value their partnership as we work to become stronger together.

Mr. Chuck Brady and Lt. Col. Amy McCall
EUCOM Humanitarian Assistance Program