Military

Constanta, Romania (USAFENS) - They've been waiting for Americans to arrive for nearly 60 years. When World War II ended, many Romanians thought the Americans would next liberate their country from the Soviets' communist rule. But it would be another five decades of world-changing history, and a war in the Middle East, before the American military would land in Constanta, Romania; a welcome and long-awaited guest of the Romanian people.

U.S. Air Force and Army troops arrived at Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base, Romania, in March and are the first American military members to officially set up camp in the former Eastern Block country, with the exception of a few military exercises on the shores of the Black Sea.

The air base, often called MK, is normally used as a civilian and military international airfield. But with civilian service discontinued, the Americans and Romanians are now working together to create and maintain an air bridge to get supplies and people from the European Command area of responsibility to the U.S. Central Command AOR. 

In full view of aging MiG 29 and MiG 21 fighter aircraft, airmen have unloaded and loaded more than 2 billion pounds of cargo from ship, train, truck and the many C-130, C-141, C-17 and C-5 cargo aircraft that land and launch here every day. Additionally, deployed members of the 48th Fighter Wing, Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, have already installed miles of cable and fiber optics around the base.

While air bridges and bases don't often get built overnight, the members of the 458th Air Expeditionary Group have come pretty close.

"Within less than 30 hours of our arrival here, we were able to provide 2,700 customers with basic communication," said Maj. Tony Thomas, 458th Expeditionary Communications Squadron commander, who is deployed here from RAF Lakenheath.

Civil engineers and communications specialists have worked with more than 120 Romanian workers hired from the local area to dig ditches, lay communication cables, build cement pads, rewire and wire buildings and rebuild roads.

More than $5 million has been spent so far improving the base, and supporting the troops stationed here, as well as those passing through using the air bridge.

In fact, according to Thomas, the Romanians and Americans have worked together to lay 16 miles of communications cables to support 800 network accounts, 195 computers, 120 landline telephones and almost 100 land mobile radios. Additionally, 350 mobile phones have been purchased to support base operations.

"The working relationship we have with the Romanians is outstanding," said Thomas. "They are very accommodating and have a can-do attitude about everything. Some of them even told us, 'we wish you guys were here 50 years ago.'"

Everyone came together from different bases to work as a team, said Thomas.

"They've all been working 12 to 18 hours a day without complaint," he said.  "A few have even pulled 30-hour days to make sure things are fixed. These people are giving their hearts for this cause."

"The best thing about being in Romania is just being able to help the war effort," said Staff Sgt. Shane Wacaster, a 458th ECS base installation and security systems technician, deployed here from the RAF Lakenheath. "I told them I'd do anything, take out the garbage - anything to help the effort. I'm in maintenance, and they have me working the customer service desk."

And the Romanians seem to be happy the Americans are here, too. In less than a month, the media interest in the base has produced more than 300 media queries and more than 150 newspaper, Internet, television and radio reports from news agencies located all over Romania and Southeast Europe. According to the U.S. Forces in Romania Press information Bureau, an average of 50 reporters have shown up to every press conference, and any time an American is seen in downtown Constanta, it makes the news.

The interest in Americans has been ingrained within the culture of Romania for half a century, according to Adriana Rasauteana, a Romanian translator working with the air base. For more than 50 years, Romanian children grew up listening to their parents' and grandparents' hopes that Americans would come to Romania. Now that the Americans are here, the Romanians want to know everything about them, and they want them to stay.

"We are very glad the Americans are here," Rasauteana said. "My grandparents have been waiting for you. They are happy for the young people. We have a great future waiting for us."  

-- USAFENS --