World

Bosnia: Mission Of Peace

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

March 18, 1999 / 12:59 PM EST / CBS

At the start of America's mission in Bosnia, some U.S. soldiers weren't thrilled about the idea of turning gunners into international social workers.

The U.S. presence in that Balkan nation may look and sound like a military mission, but CBS News Correspondent Allen Pizzey reports that almost everything else about the job nearly 7,000 U.S. peacekeepers are doing in Bosnia is defying expectations and predictions.

In Vietnam, it was known as "winning hearts and minds." The difference in Bosnia is that it seems to be working, even among the Serbs.

Even in Srebenica, scene of one of the war's worst massacres, the troops are seeing a semblance of normality return.

As far as the G.I.s are concerned, the debate about being here is over.

"If there is anything I can do to help the kids here to have a better life, I'm willing to do that," says one soldier.

The apparent success here isn't making big news partly because the only American casualties have been accident victims. But casualties weren't the only concern when U.S. troops first rolled into Bosnia.

There also were fears that this assignment might affect the soldiers' ability to do the other job they were hired for: fight a war.

"As a tank company commander, it's not the first mission you want to go to do," says Capt. David Sanders.

Now he says his men are very proud that not a single act of violence has occurred in their area. Refugees are returning home. It turned out that giving peace a chance gave his men an unexpected bonus.

"It has built a better unit," says Sanders.

Ask any soldier or civilian here and they will tell you that if U.S. troops leave, Bosnia could easily slip back into chaos and conflict. But having come this far, the soldiers say, quitting is not an option.

"It's not a soldier's job to do a peacekeeping mission, but only a soldier can do it," says one of the servicemen.