Soldiers return from largest exercise in Romania
August 9, 2005
BABADAG TRAINING AREA, Romania (Army News Service, Aug. 9, 2005) – ROMEX 05 officially ended with a ceremony Aug. 2, completing the largest bi-lateral training exercise in Romania since the end of World War II.
U.S. and Romanian troops trained in various tactical scenarios, including military operations in urban terrain or MOUT, convoy live fire, convoy force on force, and small arms marksmanship.
“Today, after seven months of planning and a month of great training, we stand in front of you as true friends,” said Col. Lou Marich, the exercise commander. “We are bound by common experiences, bound by overcoming common obstacles, bound by the exchange of ideas and cultures.”
During the exercise, U.S. and Romanian troops also renovated four schools near Babadag Training Area as part of a community development program. Projects ranged from replacing a roof to building bathrooms, to painting rooms and windows.
“We Americans came here with material goods, but we are leaving enriched beyond measure by the hospitality and the generosity of our Romanian hosts,” said Marich.
“Each and every one of us had something to learn,” said Col. Olimpiu Popescu, deputy commander of the exercise.
Soldiers from the 1st Armored Division, 7th Army Reserve Command, and the Texas National Guard trained alongside their new Romanian allies in ROMEX.
About 32 Army Reserve Soldiers, along with military police from the Romanian Army and an anti-terrorism force protection force from Bucharest, provided security for approximately 1,400 service members and civilians during ROMEX 2005 in Babadag Training Area.
Army Reserve units that participated in the exercise were: 1st Armored Division Rear Operations Center, Wiesbaden, Germany; 1172nd Movement Control Team and 345th Rear Area Operations Center, Bamberg, Germany; and the 317th and 309th Rear Area Operations Centers, Wiesbaden, Germany.
As part of their force protection duties, the Army Reserve units were tasked to provide security for the logistical support area where service members involved in the exercise were located, the local training areas where the American and Romanian Soldiers were training together, and the escort of various convoys that were traveling to and from the Babadag Training Area.
The Army Reserve Soldiers also performed morning and night patrols with the Romanian military police, covering an area of about 100 kilometers wide by 300 kilometers deep and stretching out to the coast of the Black Sea.
Maj.Tony A. Francia, anti-terrorism force-protection level-two officer for ROMEX 2005, said in conjunction with providing security for ROMEX 2005, one of the main goals of the exercise was to establish a working relationship with new NATO allies.
“Considering Romania just became a member of NATO last year, we thought this would be a great time for them to know us and see how we conduct our force-protection mission and for us to see how they conduct theirs,” said Francia.
Maj. Byron Johnston said the Romanian military police were incredibly professional at conducting their force-protection mission.
“They understand the difference between our system and theirs,” Johnston said, “…and they fully understand how important force protection is in today’s world, with the ever-present threat of terrorism,”
“We got to see two different units, how they operate, what they do and how they do it, and what we can take from it to make us a better force as well,” Johnston said.
Maj. Donovan Avery, commander of the 1st Armored Division Rear Operations Center, said it was a great experience working jointly with the Romanian Soldiers.
“We performed daily joint patrols with the Romanian military police and this truly helped us build that working relationship we were looking to gain from this exercise,” said Avery. “I would go to war and fight side-by-side with these Soldiers any day.”
Master Sgt. Remus Banna, first sergeant of the Romanian military police company in ROMEX, said a lot of Romanians have been waiting for years for Romania to become part of NATO. Banna said he was glad to be training with his new NATO partners.
(Editor's note: Information provided by a 1st Armored Division release and 7th ARCOM article by Sgt. 1st Class Derrick Weatherspoon.)
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