US Army Plans Show-of-Force Exercise in Romania
By Joe Gould 2:38 p.m. EDT May 12, 2015
WASHINGTON — More than 350 American soldiers and 80 US Army vehicles — most of them Strykers — will begin a 400 kilometer "cavalry march" across Romania, with cover from US Air Force, this week, to kick off multinational exercises in Romania, the Pentagon announced Tuesday.
The Canadian, UK, US and Romanian exercises will also involve A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 354th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, which will demonstrate close-air-support by conducting multiple close passes above the convoy. The squadron belongs to the 355th Fighter Wing at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona.
"This cav march represents the joint-Romanian effort to honor the past and build the future and demonstrate NATO interoperability," said Pentagon spokesman Col. Steve Warren.
Troops with the 2nd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, will march from Mikhail Kogalniceanu Air Base to the Romanian Land Forces Combat Training Center in Cincu.
"The purpose of this mission is simply reassurance to our NATO allies, especially Romania," the squadron's commander, Lt. Col. Theodore Johnson, said in a news release. "This will also be a combined effort to show interoperability and we will defer to the Romanian armed forces on all coordination and emerging issues."
The event, though focused on the transportation of troopers and their vehicles, will also include stops in local townships, allowing for the soldiers to interact with the public.
"This event will demonstrate our strong relationship with Romania and our ability to move freely along interior lines across the NATO alliance," Johnson said.
http://www.militarytimes.com/story/defense/land/army/2015/05/12/us-army-plans-show-of-force-exercise-in-romania/27181495/
