Minister of National Defence Gabriel Oprea participated in the celebration organized on Friday, December 16, around the Christmas tree, for the children of the Romanian military heroes, who lost their lives in theaters of operations and missions in the country, or were injured during national missions and international operations.
As good Romanian people raised in the spirit of our beautiful traditions, military men, as part of the great Romanian Armed Forces family, greet the Birth of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, with confidence and hope. We are happy to be together today, to bring Christmas presents for the children of the military heroes, of the soldiers wounded in missions. It is an important moment so, we gathered here today, as we do every year for the winter holidays, as a large family. Today, the large family of the Romanian Armed Forces is not an empty word. Daily we have the proof that the most important resource of the Romanian military is its people. We achieved corps unity, we have solidarity and a military leadership that is engaged in ensuring military men the place in society that is rightfully theirs, the defence minister told the guests.
Minister Oprea assured everybody of the support they have from the military leadership and wished them Happy Winter Holidays: Take this joy of having been here today, of our comrades, of our large family, into your homes. I wish you Happy Holidays, may there be peace, may you be in good health and have a better and Happy New Year!
The celebration continued, children were offered presents and a show was presented consisting of music, Christmas carols, children's artistic ensembles and artistic groups of the Military Artistic Ensemble, the 30th Guard Regiment and the Children's Club of sector 6 in Bucharest.
By order of the minister Gabriel Oprea, during a military ceremony, WO Laurentiu Serban was promoted to the Officers' Corps, with the rank of Captain, for the outstanding determination he showed during a patrol-monitorization mission in the theater of operations in Afghanistan, where he was wounded.
The defence minister decorated Captain Laurentiu Serban with Emblem Onoarea Armatei Romaniei, with war insignia, as a token of appreciation, for special merits, for competence, courage, devotion and initiative in his missions in the theater of operations in Afghanistan.
It is not by mere chance that we have exceptionally promoted WO Laurentiu Serban to the Officers' Corps, that I chose to offer him, in this warm and touching setting, the highest distinction that I can award as defence minister - Onoarea Armatei Romaniei- for the bravery with which he assumed his noble mission in the theater of operations in Afghanistan, where he was wounded in June 2006. Though seriously injured, Laurentiu Serban chose to continue his military career, offering an extraordinary exemple of devotion for the country and supporting his comrades, who lived similar experiences as he did. He found the strength to move on, to face difficulties that might have been insurmountable for others. Today he has a career, a beautiful family, a child who, as the other children present here, I'm sure will learn about Country and Nation from a hero who did defend these values, minister Oprea declared.
The event was attended by the invited families, military and civilian officials of the military leadership, chiefs of directorates and military services, active, retired, reserve military men.

MoND Press Office