The 33rd POSADA Mountain Troops Battalion ended its mission within ISAF III in Afghanistan. Upon their return home, a military ceremony was organized at the unit headquarters, on Friday, August 20.

State Secretary Mihail Vasile-Ozunu, Lieutenant General Stefan Oprea, local authorities attended the ceremony along the families of the troops returning home.

'On behalf of the Romanian Armed Forces and I myself wish to thank you with all my heart for your professional conduct in the extremely difficult mission in Afghanistan you just completed. I wish to express my appreciation for your determination in accomplishing this important and complex mission. I value your skills, the solidarity and camaraderie you displayed in cooperating with our American allies and the Afghan troops, your efforts to fulfill your mission in a demanding and hostile environment' is the message sent to the mountain troops by defence minister Gabriel Oprea.

In his message, the defence minister paid homage to Florin Badiceanu, Valerica Leu, Dan Ciobotaru and Paul Caracuda, of the 33rd Maneuver Battalion, killed in action in the theater of operations: 'Today's Solemn Call should have been attended by all those who, on January 5, left their homes for the theater of operations to fight terrorism and to fulfill our country's international commitments, to keep terrorism away from our country's and NATO's borders. My gratitude and my highest esteem for our comrades, killed in action'.

For the duration of their deployment in Afghanistan, from January to August 2010, the mountain troops conducted some 5000 missions in their area of responsibility in ZABUL Province. They were also involved in over 70 CIMIC missions that resulted in projects in support of the local population.

Before that, the 33rd POSADA Mountain Troops Battalion conducted missions in the theater of operation in Iraq, in 2006 and Afghanistan, from July 2007 to January 2008.

MoND Press Office