Minister of Defense, Sorin Frunzaverde decorated today, December 12, 2006 the Combat Flag of the 811th Infantry Battalion Dragonii Transilvani with the National For Merit Order in rank of Knight with signs of war granted through the Presidential Decree for special results in the process of training in missions of stabilization and reconstruction in the theater of operations in Iraq.

During the military ceremony occurred in the Romanian military camp near An Nasiryah, Iraq, the commander of the 811th Infantry Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Tudorel Dragonici and other military from the Romanian contingent were decorated with the Military Virtue Order.

We had moments of real emotion seeing the Romanian Flag here in Tallil, in Iraq. I am convinced that you will prove not only your professionalism but also the humanitarian feelings and diplomacy, the qualities the Romanian armed forces showed along the time stated the Romanian Minister of Defense.

Minister Sorin Frunzaverde and the Chief of the General Staff, Admiral Gheorghe Marin inaugurated in Iraq the new Romanian camp, Dracula Camp, in the Tallil airport area. They visited the new quartering areas and the COMERIC type working spaces, the sickroom and the Battalion equipment, part of the transport means being recently endowed with electronic system of detection of improvised explosive devices.

The commander of Dragonii Transilvani presented an information on the evolution of events and missions the Romanian military had in the Battalion area of responsibility under the British command. Participants in this meeting also were the US, the Australian and the British commanders of the detachments deployed in the region and the Iraqi officers.

At the end of the visit in Tallil, the MoD delegation had the launch with the Romanian military.

MoD Press Office