Come one, come all, local Slobozia citizens flock to military vehicles in town square

Photo By Sgt. Jordan Arnold | A wedding party poses for a picture with soldiers from the Alabama National Guard and Romanian Armed forces in front of the military vehicle static displays in town square during Saber Guardian 23, in Slobozia, Romania, June 3, 2023. Saber Guardian 23, a component of DEFENDER 23, is an exercise co-led by Romanian Land Forces and the U.S. Army at various locations in Romania to improve the integration of multinational combat forces by engaging in different events such as vehicle road marches, medical training exercises, and river crossings. DEFENDER 23 is a U.S. Army Europe and Africa led exercise focused on the strategic deployment of continental United States-based forces, employment of Army Prepositioned Stocks, and interoperability with Allies and partners. Taking place from 22 April to 23 June, DEFENDER 23 demonstrates USAREUR-AF’s ability to aggregate U.S.-based combat power quickly in Eastern Europe, increase lethality of the NATO Alliance through long-distance fires, build unit readiness in a complex joint, multi-national environment, and leverage host nation capabilities to increase USAREUR-AF’s operational reach. DEFENDER 23 includes more than 7,000 U.S. and 17,000 multi-national service members from more than 20 nations who will participate including, but not limited to: Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, United Kingdom and the United States. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Jordan Arnold)  

SLOBOZIA, ROMANIA

06.03.2023

Story by Sgt. Jordan Arnold 

131st Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

SLOBOZIA, Romania – Men, women, children, elderly, and even a wedding party, flocked to the town square in Slobozia for a closer look at the convoy of military vehicles and soldiers from the U.S. Army and Romanian Armed Forces.
Saber Guardian 23, a component of Defender Europe 23, is an exercise co-led by Romanian Land Forces and the U.S. Army at various locations in Romania to improve the integration of multinational combat forces by engaging in different events such as vehicle road marches, medical training exercises, and river crossings.
“This an opportunity to show what Saber Guardian is all about,” said Maj. Charles Singleton, operations and training officer for the 231st Military Police Battalion. “And it’s an opportunity to show what Saber Guardian is all about and allow the local population to see the state partnership program come together as we come out here to the city and allow the citizens of Slobozia to come out and view the equipment that we use along with the Romanian equipment.”
The Alabama-Romania National Guard Partnership is one of 88 partnerships from around the world that make up the National Guard State Partnership Program, as well as one of 25 European partnerships that comprise the U.S. European Command State Partnership Program. The Alabama-Romania State Partnership Program was established after Romania, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the state of Alabama signed a bilateral relations agreement in July 1993. The ALNG has maintained a strong partnership ever since and continues to be an effective enabler in Romanian capacity building.
Sgt. Maj. JACOB, Andrei, 20th Battalion, 2nd Multinational Brigade, Romanian Armed Forces said that the training for Saber Guardian has been a real gain from their of view.
“We’re just happy to be in this partnership,” JACOB said. “We’re happy to learn new things and to share new things regarding the training and to interact with our American partners from the Alabama National Guard.”
“Today, we are happy to be among the people from Slobozia,” JACOB said with a smile. “We’re happy to make the children happy. And why not help them be attracted to the military career and maybe fall in love with the military, the Romanian military and also American military.”
Joint efforts between the 231st MP Battalion, Alabama National Guard and MPs from the 20th Battalion, 2nd Multinational Brigade, Romanian Armed Forces, created a static display of a military vehicle convoy in the local town square.
The convoy consisted of two U.S. military vehicles, a M1151 Enhanced Armament Carrier High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected All Terrain Vehicle, otherwise known as a M-ATV, and two Romanian military vehicles, a Mowag Piranha V, and an Armored Chevrolet Tahoe Mobile Command Center.
“It’s amazing,” Sorin Șerban, 14-year-old Romanian local said. “You don’t see this kind of stuff every day.”
“It makes me feel safe, especially knowing what’s happening nearby,” Andrei Gheorghe, 15-year-old Romanian local said.
Smiles and laughter filled the town square, and hundreds of pictures were taken to commemorate the memory of this day.
DEFENDER 23 is a U.S. Army Europe and Africa led exercise focused on the strategic deployment of continental United States-based forces, employment of Army Prepositioned Stocks, and interoperability with Allies and partners. Taking place from 22 April to 23 June, DEFENDER 23 demonstrates USAREUR-AF’s ability to aggregate U.S.-based combat power quickly in Eastern Europe, increase lethality of the NATO Alliance through long-distance fires, build unit readiness in a complex joint, multi-national environment, and leverage host nation capabilities to increase USAREUR-AF’s operational reach.
DEFENDER 23 includes more than 7,000 U.S. and 17,000 multi-national service members from more than 20 nations who will participate including, but not limited to: Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, United Kingdom and the United States.
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• Date Taken: 06.03.2023
• Date Posted: 06.05.2023 06:36
• Story ID: 446205
• Location: SLOBOZIA, RO