Several nations, one vision
The Multinational Division Southeast in Bucharest is one of the most important military structures in our country
România Internațional, 17.09.2025, 13:00
The Multinational Division Southeast in Bucharest is one of the most important military structures in our country. It was established in 2015, through the transformation of the Romanian Army’s 1st Infantry Division. The command became operational in July 2016. At the division headquarters, we met Lieutenant Commander David Williams of the US Navy, who told us about what he does within the command:
“Most of my tasks consist of ensuring that this command structure has all the information it needs to accomplish its mission. We are currently preparing for a series of exercises that will take place throughout the year. We are working alongside all our multinational forces, gaining experience and strengthening cooperation between us. There will be various events throughout the year, but I believe we are on the right track and will be able to support these activities in the coming months. I have had Romanian friends for many years, so I already had an idea of the culture here before I came. However, I think the most beautiful thing I have discovered here is how welcoming Romanians are. Every person I have interacted with has been open and eager to help me integrate into life in Romania.”
Alongside Romania, 14 other countries contribute troops to the multinational command: Albania, Bulgaria, France, Greece, Italy, the United Kingdom, Montenegro, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey, Hungary, and the United States. Since its establishment, Romania has been the framework nation for this command structure, taking on the main role of coordination, leadership, and organization.
Major Hugo, from the French Army, explained how challenging it is to work in a multinational environment:
“I would say that there are more challenges, as we have to plan operations in a multinational framework, which involves several allies in the process. However, so far we are doing very well. At first glance, it may seem complicated, but once you start working with them, you realize that NATO is a well-built structure that works efficiently. I enjoy working with Romanian military personnel because their Latin side makes them both very direct and welcoming. For a French person, it is not at all difficult to work with Romanian officers; it is always a pleasure. Thank you.”
The United Kingdom is another contributor of troops to the Multinational Division. Major Anani-Isaac Julien has been in Romania for over a year and told us about his experience working with our military personnel:
“I arrived in Romania, in Bucharest, in August 2024, and currently hold the position of military assistant to the deputy commander of the Multinational Division Southeast. I support him in drafting reports, preparing briefings, and organizing and coordinating trips and meetings with both the NATO chain of command and Romanian command structures. Among the challenges I faced were the weather conditions. Last October and November, I was in Cincu (central Romania), where the weather was particularly cold. Of course, Romanian military personnel are used to operating and training in such conditions. Later, in April and May, I was in Smârdan (east), where temperatures were already very high. And again, I found that Romanians adapt easily to these climatic extremes. I also had the opportunity to travel to Sibiu, Drăgășani, Brașov, Sinaia (center and south) and, last but not least, to the east of the country, to the Danube Delta. I’ve explored a little bit of Romania. I took a Romanian language course and I can say that I speak a little Romanian.”
The mission of the Multinational Division Southeast Command is to provide command and control of a NATO Article 5 – Collective Defense operation in the southeastern flank of NATO’s area of responsibility. It also has the role of intervening in the transformation and training of military capabilities in Romania and Bulgaria. The Command oversees the NATO Force Integration Units in Bucharest and Sofia, respectively, as well as the Multinational Brigade Southeast in Craiova (southern Romania). (MI)
