C000056

Round shaped, gold edge color coin 2 inches in diameter.

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Camp Monteith is a military base near Gnjilane, Kosovo. A former Serb artillery outpost and 79 parcels of private land, the area was taken over by U.S. Marines and used as a base of operation during the Kosovo War. At its peak, the camp housed 2000 soldiers and civilian contractors. Established in June 1999 to be used as a staging point for the bulk of US forces stationed in the Multi National Brigade-East. Initially occupied by U.S. Marines, it was used by successive rotations of U.S. Army forces over seven years as part of NATO's KFOR.

Initially U.S. Marines occupied the land during Operation Joint Guardian setting up camp around the main building in tents and in their vehicles, patrolling Gnjilane and the surrounding villages. In July 1999, Seabees, along with Kellogg Brown & Root (KBR), began construction of more permanent structures, with plumbing and electricity including a vast number of semi-permanent barracks known as South East Asia huts (SEAhuts). The camp continued to be used by peacekeeping forces until early 2006 when the remaining soldiers relocated to Camp Bondsteel. The camp was closed in March 2007 to U.S. personnel and as of July 2007 has been transferred to the Kosovo Protection Corps (KPC/TMK).