First Meeting

Photo By Frank O'Brien | Lt. Col. William P. Scott, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team operations officer, and Col. Marius Harabagiu, deputy commander of 1st Mechanized Brigade, exchange information during a meeting at Forward Operating Base Lagman, Afghanistan. The 116th IBCT and 1st Mechanized Brigade are deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.  

QALAT, AFGHANISTAN

07.29.2011

Story by Sgt. Frank O'Brien 

116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team

FORWARD OPERATING BASE LAGMAN, Afghanistan – Soldiers of the Staunton-based Virginia Army National Guard 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team met with their Romanian army counterparts at Forward Operating Base Lagman in Zabul province, Afghanistan, to establish a working partnership in Combined Team Zabul July 29.

The 116th IBCT will serve as a headquarters element for CTZ, the multinational coalition force responsible for counterinsurgency and stability operations in Zabul province. Zabul is one of the first Afghan provinces considered stable enough to begin the transition to governance independent of U.S. forces.

“It’s the first time we’ve worked with a NATO ally,” said Col. Blake C. Ortner, commander of the 116th IBCT, to the assembled Romanian officers. “It will be an interesting and exciting adventure, and we’re looking forward to working with you.”

There are currently more than 1,300 Romanian troops deployed in Zabul in support of Operation Enduring Freedom mostly along Highway 1, the “ring road” that links major Afghan cities. Romanian troops are stationed on joint bases with U.S. and/or Afghan National Army troops, as well as small all-Romanian patrol bases. On FOB Lagman, Romanian and U.S. soldiers serve side-by-side, sharing missions, offices and base facilities.

“We’re used to partnering whenever we’re called out for a natural disaster or emergency,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Thomas H. Yancey, the brigade’s command sergeant major. “We have to partner with other agencies and we’re used to it.”

The Romanian units, such as the 1st Mechanized Brigade, which traces its history back to 100 B.C., have deployed previously in Angola, Albania, Kosovo and Iraq, and are also adept at joint operations. Their missions in Zabul are COIN operations with their ANA counterparts, and providing enough security for a stable government to flourish. As a testament to the effectiveness of the Romanians, future plans include their taking a leadership role in the region.

“It’s critical to have the Romanians with us,” said Ortner. “We found out about this mission 60 days ago … we weren’t able to bring the units that would normally come and support us as a brigade-sized element. We had to pull 47 percent of our soldiers from other units.”

The 116th is replacing an active duty unit - the Headquarters with the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division. A transfer-of-authority ceremony between the 1-25th SBCT and 116th IBCT is scheduled for Aug. 7.

“We think differently than the active components you’ve dealt with in the past,” said Lt. Col. William P. Scott, 116th IBCT operations officer, when outlining the differences between National Guard and active duty units to a Romanian officer. “We bring a fresh perspective to the fight.”

• Date Taken: 07.29.2011
• Date Posted: 09.02.2011 10:37
• Story ID: 76342
• Location: QALAT, AF