Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Brad Mincey | Romanian Army Lt. Laurentiu Anghel confers with Marine Capt. Lee Stuckey (left), a key...... read more read more
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MIHAIL KOGALNICEANU AIR BASE, Romania – “I’ll bet no Marine on this base beats Lt. Anghel,” Col. Ron Bahr, director of the Black Sea Area Support Team repeated during the last Regional Support Element, 21st Theater Sustainment Command staff meeting prior to the upcoming Marine Corps “Fallen Comrades Run.”
Bahr joked about the speed of his Romanian colleague throughout the two weeks preceding the run. But for Romanian Army Lt. Laurentiu Anghel, fitness and running are no laughing matter.
Anghel, a native of Piteste, a city located just north of the Romanian capital of Bucharest, is currently the commander of a Romanian military police company as well as a rapid runner.
The lieutenant has a deeply rooted background in cross country and distance running.
While a student at a Romanian military high school, he was a member of the track and cross country teams and trained for events ranging from the 400-meter dash to the 5-mile run. Later, at the Land Forces Academy, he participated in the military pentathlons.
Upon commissioning as an infantry lieutenant in 2009, he maintained a strong emphasis on physical fitness; and shortly after returning from a seven-month deployment to Afghanistan in 2011, he was awarded the opportunity to attend U.S. Army Ranger School at Fort Benning, Ga.
The lieutenant was treated with the same hospitality everyone receives at Fort Benning. Anghel said he still remembers his encounters with chiggers, poison ivy and other unpleasant aspects of the training environment in west Georgia. Despite the hardships and difficulties he was faced with, he received the coveted U.S. Army Ranger Tab in July of 2012.
Anghel still trains with Americans – his Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base-based MP company now trains regularly with U.S. Soldiers and Marines.
He said he feels that both countries’ forces stand to gain a lot from this training. The training, he said, gives personnel wearing either nation’s uniform a different perspective on the tactics, techniques and procedures that they employ to accomplish their mission.
Romanian forces working side by side with U.S. Soldiers and Marines, he said, makes for a more coordinated effort in any situation.
That coordination, it turns out, went beyond purely military training.
Anghel and American partners began conducting combined physical training at the MK base gym last winter. He regularly conducts physical training with the American military policemen and base leaders he works alongside.
Capt. Thomas Dixon and Master Sgt. Damian George, key base MP leaders, Air Force Master Sgt. Jason Harper and Bahr are among his regular workout partners.
As a group they focus on “Cross Fit,” a regimen emphasizing muscle development and stamina. They follow the regimen rather vigorously. But Anghel runs away even with friendly competitions. In addition to his Cross Fit work outs, he runs, at a minimum, an additional 20 minutes a day.
Since his running prowess has developed into local legend and Bahr’s friendly boasts fueled the debate, people from throughout the MK community were interested to see just how well he would do.
The race, held in honor of Marines who rendered the ultimate sacrifice, began at 9 a.m. sharp the morning of Oct. 24. But Marines weren’t the only service members or athletes who turned out. Several hundred personnel representing all U.S. services and Romanian partners came out for the “5-kilometer” (the course actually measured a bit longer, equivalent to 3.2 miles) run along base roads and the main route connecting the airfield and the main support area.
The previous week had been filled with warm, sunny days. But the morning of the race was cold and a fog set in over the facility. One group attracted notice by running the track prior to the race. This group consisted of Anghel and fellow Romanian runners.
Before the race, key leaders representing other units predicted several U.S. Marines, Soldiers and Airmen would give Anghel a run for his money. But after an early burst from a couple competitors, the swift lieutenant pulled ahead as the race progressed.
When the leaders finally came within sight of the finish line, it became clear he held a strong lead. He crossed the finish line ahead of the entire field, in 18 minutes, 5 seconds.
The second-place runner, infantryman Pfc. Juan De La Rosa of Company C, 502nd Infantry, 101st Airborne Division, a transiting Soldier based at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, kicked it into gear the last leg crossed the finish line after 18 minutes, 15 seconds.
“A great performance from Lt. Anghel and Pfc. De La Rosa, and a great effort by everyone participating in the event,” Marine Capt. Lee Stuckey, a key event organizer, said after the race was run. “It was terrific to see such a great turnout for such a wonderful cause.”
Anghel took his triumph in stride. But he does appreciate the support – and friendship – of his American colleagues.
“We spent a lot of time training together and learning from each other,” the rapid Romanian said. “I know I am a better officer, and I am certainly more physically fit because of my time with the American MPs. I think this partnership has made our companies and made our soldiers better. I am very confident we can accomplish anything working together.”
| Date Taken: | 10.31.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 10.31.2014 11:00 |
| Story ID: | 146678 |
| Location: | MIHAIL KOGALNICEANU, RO |
| Web Views: | 85 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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