Kosovo's declaration of independence won't change the mission of the Army National Guard division now in the country to keep the peace, the joint chiefs of staff chairman said last month.

"It is a peacekeeping and peace stabilization mission in Kosovo and they will continue to operate under [U.N. Security Council Resolution 1244] until the United Nations Security Council rescinds it," Adm. Mike Mullen said.

Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia Feb. 17. The current Kosovo Force was put together in 1999 following a 78-day bombing campaign by NATO to prevent the Serbs from driving out the majority ethnic Albanian population.

Since the end of the bombing campaign, NATO has maintained a force of about 15,000 in Kosovo. The current force includes about 1,500 Guard troops from 25 states and territories.

Mullen said, "I am delighted that independence has been declared and I certainly wish the people of Kosovo nothing but the best for the future."

Brig. Gen. John Davoren of the Kansas Army Guard's 35th Infantry Division, the headquarters element for Task Force Falcon, told a Kansas newspaper last month his soldiers are "in awe of being here at the time of a birth of a new country."

But, he said, the mission to provide security in an impartial manner to all ethnic groups is unchanged, and appears to be so for the foreseeable future.

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