Last week, within the Romanian Base from Zabul Province, the transfer of authority from the 33rd Maneuver Battalion POSADA to the 812th Maneuver Battalion CARPATHIANS HAWKS, as to the Romanian forces' North-Eastern area of responsibility in Afghanistan, was marked through a military ceremony.
The ceremony, that was also attended by Colonel James Blackburn, Commander of the Combined Team Zabul, Colonel Nicolae Ciocoiu, the General Staff's representative in this activity, commanders of the Romanian military structures deployed in Zabul, and both representatives of the local authorities and the commanders of the units from the Afghan National Security Forces, included the play of the Romanian Anthem, the reports delivered by LTC Costel Ionescu, Commander of the the 33rd Maneuver Battalion and LTC Cornel Scurt, the 812th Maneuver Battalion, and the officiation of a liturgy.
The 812th Maneuver Battalion CARPATHIANS HAWKS joined the 811th Maneuver Battalion TRANSYLVANIAN DRAGONS already been in Afganistan from about two months. Both battalions belong to the 81st Mechanized Brigade "General Grigore Balan" from Bistrita, the main generator of the Combined Team Zabul' command, control and staff component.
The 81st Mechanized Brigade from Bistrita is the first Romanian big unit having deployed in the TO, simultaneously, two maneuver battalions and a brigade-level command and staff component.
Since 1996 the brigade's soldiers have counted many missions abroad, having been present wherever the Romanian Armed Forces carried out missions in Angola, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan TOs.

MoND Press Office