Afghanistan: end of mission
A ceremony was held in central Bucharest, to mark the end of Romania's military mission in Afghanistan
Roxana Vasile, 22.07.2021, 13:00
At the end of nearly two decades of uninterrupted presence in Afghanistan, Romanian troops have returned home, as did the military forces of all the countries that took part in operations in that country. 27 Romanian troops died in these missions or in Taliban terror attacks, and over 200 have been wounded.
As a token of appreciation, the end of the Romanian military mission in Afghanistan was marked on Wednesday, the 21st of July, in a military ceremony in Bucharest. Units representing the structures that completed missions in one of the most difficult theatres of operations between 2002 and June this year marched under the Arch of Triumph in central Bucharest. A C 130 Hercules and 3 C-27J Spartan aircraft, part of the Otopeni Air Transport Base 90, flew over the area.
The battle flags of the units that took part in the missions were decorated, and a moment of silence was observed for those who lost their lives there. President Klaus Iohannis left a floral tribute for their memory. In his address, he pointed out the sacrifice that these troops and their families had made, and mentioned that the Romanian Army’s mission in Afghanistan will be remembered as the longest, most complex and most important military operation outside national borders since WW2.
Klaus Iohannis: “Dear soldiers, you have written history, you are the heroes of our generations and we are proud of you. You have shown us that love for one’s country, courage, devotion, patriotism and self-sacrifice remain fundamental highlights of our nation. We will never forget our heroes!”
Over 32,000 troops from all categories of armed forces took part in missions in Afghanistan—men and women who for a while left their parents, children and loved ones in order to take part in operations that endangered their lives.
The first unit deployed there, in June 2002, was the Infantry Battalion 26 from Craiova (southern Romania), dubbed “The Red Scorpions,” commanded at the time by lieutenant-colonel Nicolae Ciucă, today a retired general and defence minister. He headed the first military mission in Afghanistan and, 20 years later, he coordinated the pullout of troops from that country.
Minister Ciucă said on this occasion that with this mission in Afghanistan, Romania gained the respect of its NATO partners in the global war on terrorism. The total costs of Romania’s presence in Afghanistan amounted to some 600 million euro. (tr. A.M. Popescu)
