Press reporter Harry Booth joined the 1st Royal Yorkshire Regiment on operation in Kosovo. 

The sun rose over Camp Bondsteel as I walked back from the shower to my lodgings - a tent made up of 40 soldiers packed in on bunk beds.

Despite the crowd, the night's sleep was a peaceful one.

Camp Bondsteel was very different to my first night’s residence in the north - Camp Nothing Hill.

Bondsteel featured a road named after President Joe Biden - at the end of which was a sea of red and white barriers, followed by security checkpoints.

Inside was vast, I was told before arrival that a run around the perimeter exceeded five miles in length – for context: Camp Nothing Hill’s was roughly 400 metres.

A Black Hawk helicopter flying over Camp Bondsteel (Image: Harry Booth)

The sight of American Black Hawk helicopters landing, scores of German KFOR vehicles, and a constant stream of Yorkshire’s troops were some of the first things I noticed at the base.

But there wasn’t much time to take it all in.

Today, we were being hosted by the Quebec company, in the capable hands of captain Matt Smart.

Unlike the Burma company – a platoon of riflemen – Quebec is a multiple platoon. Some machine gun troops, anti-tank specialists, and others that specialise in heavier forms of weaponry.

Troops from the Quebec company (Image: Harry Booth)

Quebec’s job is to act covertly in often unforgiving stakeouts from observational points (OPs). We visited another point where Kosovo and Serbia met, this time, it was an unrestricted road.

This is where Quebec kicked in. Corporal Brandon Carroll scaled a nearby hill and assessed the places his men could spend anywhere from 24 hours to five days, watching the path for activity.

During their observations, the troops would be looking for cars passing from country to country - possible smugglers - which the troops are tasked with tackling, along with the local police force.

Corporal Carroll picked his locations where each soldier would be placed.

On patrol in the hills (Image: Harry Booth)

However, on the way back down the mountain our driver, who’ll remain nameless, veered the front right wheel of his vehicle off the (very) beaten track.

We were stuck. One wheel in the air, and a large stone stuck under the bumper.

After a short period of digging, pushing and pulling the car was free. It took slightly longer for our driver’s blushes to subside.

The Quebec company on the unmarked road, behind the tractor is Serbia (Image: Harry Booth)

The Quebec company returned to Camp Bondsteel, a five hour round trip for 40 minutes of patrol, and a 30 minute car-rescue.

The company is putting in the hard yards for the entire regiment, which is preparing a 70-troop surge in the coming days. The troops will get to monitor the ABL (Administrative Boundary Line) at full force. The new recruits, some in their first year of the military, will be thrust into live action – a valuable experience to take home with them.