US Marines, Bulgarian soldiers strengthen bonds through training

Photo By Cpl. Logan Kyle | A Bulgarian soldier with the 38th Infantry Battalion, 2nd Light Infantry brigade, fires on the combat marksmanship range, July 2. Bulgarian soldiers will train with U.S. Marines and Sailors for two weeks, honing their skills in peacekeeping operations.  

NOVO SELO TRAINING AREA, BULGARIA

07.02.2010

Story by Staff Sgt. Christopher Flurry 

U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Europe and Africa     

NOVO SELO TRAINING AREA, Bulgaria — Waves of Kalashnikov rifle fire, punctuated by the sharp crack of U.S. Marine Corps M-4 carbines, applauded through the lush hills and valleys of Bulgaria’s Novo Selo Training Area, July 2, but this was no firefight.

U.S. Marines and Bulgarian soldiers were training together, as partners, honing their skills in combat marksmanship and gaining new familiarity with each others’ weapons. The U.S. and Bulgarian troops have been living and working together since June 27, swapping stories and meals, as often as they trade tactics and techniques.

“They’ve really taken to this training and put their hearts into it,” said Lance Cpl. Brian James, native of Hollywood, Md., who serves as an assaultman with scout platoon, Headquarters and Service Company, 1st Tank Battalion. “I can definitely see a similarity in how they train and what we do. I just wish we had more time to spend together.”

Scout platoon, based out of Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif., serves as part of the ground combat element of the Black Sea Rotational Force Security Cooperation Marine Air-Ground Task Force. The first of its kind in the Black Sea, Caucasus and Balkan regions, Black Sea Rotational Force’s Marines and Sailors deployed to Eastern Europe in May with the mission to promote regional stability, bolster partner nations’ military capabilities and build enduring partnerships.

Nestled on the eastern edge of the Balkan range, the land surrounding Novo Selo sparks memories of Appalachia’s rolling, forest-covered hills. The training area itself, a mix of Communist-era buildings and U.S. military tents, serves as the backdrop for two weeks while Bulgarian soldiers and U.S. Marines hone their skills in combat marksmanship, convoy operations, military operations on urbanized terrain, martial arts, nonlethal weapons techniques and other areas crucial to peacekeeping operations.

“This has been very successful training, and I’ve learned a lot of new things,” said Bulgarian army Pvt. Raicho Raychev, a soldier with 38th Infantry Bn., 2nd Light Infantry Brigade. “I haven’t deployed to Afghanistan yet, but I think when I do this training will be very useful.”

And the growing relationship between U.S. Marines and Bulgarian soldiers hasn’t been limited to the tents and ranges at Novo Selo. The two nations joined together, July 3, in refurbishing a medical treatment facility in the village of Zheravna, where cobblestone roads and wooden houses are a popular destination for those seeking history off the beaten path.

But, for Zheravna’s 500 permanent residents, the work of Marines, Bulgarian soldiers and U.S. Navy Sailors from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 7 keeps medical care within walking distance.

“It feels like I’m making the world a little bit of a better place,” said Lance Cpl. Ryan Hazlitt, an assaultman with the scout platoon who hails from Brownwood, Texas. “It’s not every day that you get to come to these towns and small villages to make a difference, and that’s a big part of what I feel like I’m here to do.”

The Marines and Bulgarian soldiers closed out their first week of training, July 4, celebrating America’s independence with a soccer tournament and a traditional American barbecue.

“We get to interact with the different cultures, and they get to see a little bit of our culture on Independence Day, just like we’ve been able to see theirs,” said Cpl. Eric Franco, an assaultman with scout platoon, from Wichita Falls, Texas. “It’s been a great experience, and I’m loving every minute of it.”

• Date Taken: 07.02.2010
• Date Posted: 07.04.2010 09:16
• Story ID: 52358
• Location: NOVO SELO TRAINING AREA, BG