Joint Task Force-East

Tennessee National guard units begin training with Romanian and Bulgarian Soldiers

By Joint Task Force-East PAO
August 7, 2009

As part of Joint Task Force-East in Mihail Kogalniceanu Airfield, Romania, members of the Tennessee National Guard’s 176th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion and Romanian Land Forces render honors in the formation during their opening ceremony held Thursday. U.S. Army Col. Gary R. Russ (right front), Commander of the Bi-lateral task force and Romanian Land Forces co-director Col. Mihail Nicolescu (left front), render salutes during the playing of the Romanian and U.S. National Anthems. (Photo by Lt. Col. Daniel E. Herrigstad)

MIHAIL KOGALNICEANU, ROMANIA - About 350 Tennessee National Guard Soldiers from units across the state arrived Tuesday and Wednesday to train with Romanian and Bulgarian land forces in the 2009 rotation of the U.S.-Romanian and U.S.-Bulgarian combined military exercise that will be held this summer and fall in those two countries.

An opening ceremony was held on Thursday at Mihail Kogaliceanu Airfield, Romania and another is scheduled for today at the Novo Selo Training area near Silven, Bulgaria as the kick-off event of this year’s training rotation.

Tennessee units participating in Romania include the 176th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion headquartered out of Johnson City, Tenn. The 1st Battalion, 181st Field Artillery Regiment headquartered out of Chattanooga, Tenn. is conducting training in Bulgaria.

“It is important for our Soldiers to have a chance to interact with our allies and become familiar with the way they train and conduct business,” said Maj. Alfred Fleming from Covington, Tenn., Executive Officer of the 176th CSSB. “I think it is also important that our soldiers experience the culture of our NATO partners, so that when we find ourselves together in a theater of operations, we have some familiarity.”

The intent of JTF-East is to build interoperability and develop relationships with other militaries in theater security cooperation, said JTF-East commander Col. Gary R. Russ. Over 3,800 Romanian, Bulgarian, U.S. troops and civilians will be supporting and participating in this year’s rotation.

“Our Soldiers are here to learn the basic skills of warrior tasks, take support elements and teach them soldier skills and to have cultural interaction with the Romanians,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Dale E. Shoop from Fall Branch, Tenn., of the 176th CSSB.

Tennessee National Guardsmen and Romanian and Bulgarian Land Forces will be training side-by-side on a variety of Army Warrior Tasks and small unit infantry tactics.

Members of the Tennessee National Guard’s 176th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion stand side-by-side with their Romanian Land Forces partners in formation Thursday during their opening ceremony held on the Mihail Kogalniceanu Airfield in Mihail Kogalniceanu, Romania. (Photo by Sgt. Marla Keown)

Aside from training, JTF-East Soldiers will have opportunities to interact outside of work. Events such as sports events, language classes and Morale and Welfare Recreation trips outside of the training area are available for all Soldiers to encourage cultural and social interaction.

For most National Guardsmen, this training exercise is vastly different from their regular two weeks of annual training.

“I’ve never bee out of America before,” said Pvt. 1st Class Virgil Belew, Heavy Construction Mechanic for the 771st Maintenance Company out of Centerville, Tenn. “This is my first time flying over the ocean, or even to see the ocean. I’m looking forward to experiencing the culture here (and) getting to know the people.”

In addition to the Tennessee National Guard, the 2nd Stryker Calvary Regiment out of Vilseck, Germany will be training in Romania and Bulgaria as part of JTF-East until October 2009.

JTF-East continues to be one of the U.S. Army Europe’s strategic priorities and plays a key role in the U.S. European Command’s Theater Security Cooperation program. This year marks the JTF-East’s official third annual rotation.

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