During a military and religious ceremony in the Romanian camp in camp Mittica, the military of the 280th Infantry Battalion inaugurated Friday morning, July 19, a monument remebering three years of Romanian participation in the Multinational Coalition in Iraq.

The Monument belongs to all the Romanian military who participated in mission of stabilization and reconstruction of Iraq, belongs to all who believed in our purpose and mission, no matter they were infantrymen, Military Policemen, engineers and others, they all accomplished their duty towards the country in atypical and asymmetric challenges said the Commander of the 280th Infantry Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Stefan Balan.

In the last month, a challenge of ideas and projects for the monument marking three years of Romanian presence in the Iraqi theater of operations was launched among the military of this Battalion.
The winning project represents a ziggurat, symbol of perfection and strength in time of the human civilization, guarded by a shield , the guarrantor of a better future.

Lieutenant Colonel Stefan Balan awarded with diplomas the soldiers with special merits during their mission, having in view the near end of the 280th Infantry Battalion mission.


The 811th Infantry Battalion Dragonii Transilvani from Dej is the first unit deployed in An Nassiriyah area in July 2003. In 2004 they were replaced by the 26th Infantry Battalion Red Scorpions from Craiova and the 812th Infantry Battalion Soimii Carpatilor from Bistrita in 2005, the 2nd Infantry Battalion Calugareni from Bucharest and the 20th Infantry Battalion ‘Black Scorpions from Craiova, and in 2006 the 280th Infantry Battalion from Focsani.

Dragonii Transilvani will return this month in Iraq for six months, within the Multinational Coalition.

MoND Press Office