The Minister of National Defence Gabriel Oprea and the chief of the General Staff, Admiral Gheorghe Marin, participated on Tuesday, May 11, in the military ceremony organized on the deployment to Afghanistan of staff personnel that will man the Combined Team Zabul and the 811th Dragonii Transilvani Maneuver Battalion.

In his speech, the defence minister reasserted that Romania stays by its commitment to actively contribute to the allied missions and operations. To this effect, the deployment of the Dragonii Transilvani to Zabul brings an important increase of Romania`s contribution to enforcing security and stability in Afghanistan.

'You, the troops in theaters of operations, are a priority for me as defence minister. I am concerned with increasing the troops` security and protection during missions, with ensuring your rights and supporting your families' the defence minister said.

'Upon its 15th celebration, the 811th Battalion can proudly display a significant number of missions fulfilled in an exemplary manner by its troops, who are strong warriors and true pioneers for the new missions Romania took over in order to consolidate our strategic profile within the Alliance' the defence minister declared.


The professionalism of this battalion troops, Minister Oprea said, was noticed both during home missions and international ones and is a warranty of these troops` determination in fighting terror and fulfilling their missions in the theaters of operations. The minister wished them luck and care during the missions they will have to fulfill within the Romanian-American command structure, Combined Team Zabul, and to stay united and work as a team alongside the American partner in order to efficiently synchronize their operations.

The ceremony organized at the 811th Infantry Battalion HQ in Dej was attended by the troops` families, the US Ambassador to Bucharest, Mr. Mark Gitenstein, the chief of Land Forces Staff, representatives of the 4th Infantry Division leadership and the local public administration.

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The Combined Team Zabul - CTZ is a multinational joint command structure of Brigade level the task of which is to lead the Romanian maneuver troops of the 811th and 812th Infantry Battalions and the OMLTs deployed in Zabul Province.

The Combined Team Zabul consists of 46 officers and NCOs pertaining mainly to the 81st General GRIGORE BALAN Mechanized Brigade, being the first structure of its kind to be deployed in a theater of operations.

The 811th Infantry Battalion is the first unit of the Romanian Armed Forces deployed and involved in the Antica Babilonia mission in Iraq in 2003, that is one year after a contingent of Infantry Company level had participated in BELUKROKO 11 mission in Kosovo. During 2006 and 2007, the 811th Infantry Battalion was deployed to Iraq for the second time. Commander of the Battalion is LTC Ioan-Marian Cristurean.

MoND Press Office