Romania, the Eastern Flank
Cooperation with partners from Britain and the USA
Radio România, 04.10.2023, 14:00
A team of trainers from British
Military Advisory Training Team (BMATT) has coordinated a course of command and
leadership in Romania in cooperation with the units subordinated to the 18th
Search and Supervision brigade Decebalus based in Timisoara, western Romania.
The British team stationed in the Czech Republic has the mission to provide military
training courses, training assistance, counseling to the partner countries
helping them to develop professional armed forces and capabilities able to
participate in multinational support, regional and peacekeeping missions.
The team spent two weeks with the
32nd Search and Surveillance Battalion Mircea in Timisoara where it
built the theoretical framework for the training of the Romanian servicemen and
then moved on to the training ground.
Sergent Darryl Rennie, who is a
trainer with the BMATT, told us quote it is important to work with the NATO
partners and see how we can work together. Our purpose here is not only to
teach our way of operation, but we are also interested in the way the Romanian
army operates and learning their rules so that we may cooperate with each
other, share experiences, and make the most of these courses.
Captain Ben Griffiths, the head
of the BMATT, is for the first time in Romania and told the radio programme ‘Military
Journal of the Romanian Army’ that the British team comes twice a year and its
relation with the Romanian ground forces is a good one. We have many lessons
to learn from our Romanian partners, regarding their way of operating. And this
strengthens interoperability. This is a real chance to train together so that
in the future we’ll be able to fight side by side. So, understanding our
cultures, our behaviours and the structure of the organization is very useful.
Ben Griffiths went on to say.
Regarding the social interaction
between the servicemen, Sergeant Vydlove Cech, associated-instructor with the BMATT,
has mentioned that being of the Czech nationality he is familiarized with the
cultural elements and gastronomy in eastern Europe and his colleagues really
like the good food they have found here, the beautiful culture and cities and
the wonderful nature.
In another development the US
army has completed the works for a 34 million dollar project at the 71 Air Base
in Campia Turzii, central Romania.
The project consists of a center
for air operations, a hangar for planes and a parking platform for the aircraft
used.
The projects unfolding in Romania
are contributing to the training and response capability of the US troops
stationed in Europe and strengthening the collective defence and security of
the NATO allies, says Roger Vogler, the head of the engineers department of
the US army.
The investment is part of a 100
million dollar programme the USA has been carrying out in Campia Turzii to
expand the action range of the US forces in south-eastern Europe, according to
Stars and Stripes. The US partners started the streamlining works at the 71 Air
Base in 2021. The funds for this project have been earmarked by means of the
European Deterrence Initiative the US launched in 2014, after the annexation of
the Crimean peninsula by Russia.
(bill)
