U.S. Army Europe is expanding and building capabilities and capacity for dynamic presence in and around the Black Sea region, especially at the port of Port of Constanta and its logistical and training hubs Camp Mihail Kogalniceanu Airbase Romania (MKAB) and Novo Selo Training Area Bulgaria (NSTA).
Dynamic Presence, how land power is committed to European security, enables U.S. Army Europe’s connection to our allies, local government leaders and civilians in the U.S. and Europe. NATO is the most successful alliance, with over 60 years of history.
“We’re the Army’s surface distribution unit that arrives and works with any unit that arrives for exercises and operations,” Lt. Col. Jason Alvis, commander of the 839th Transportation Battalion, Camp Darby/Leghorn Army Depot, Italy, said.
The 839th Transportation Bn. has been operating at the Port of Costanta.
“We’ve operated decades ago for shipping in and out of the region,” Alvis said. “We have been operating the Black Sea region for quite some time, we’ve got the partnerships, we’ve got the relationships with the industry and we stand ready to facilitate the movement of USAREUR’s equipment for exercises and missions. We’ve got the manpower and the regional knowledge to do it wherever we want to go.”
“For Saber Guardian 16, when equipment came in we were there at the port, we staged all the equipment, we got it to the sustaining areas, we helped facilitate rail loading and convoy movements at the port, they built their movement plan to get back on to the port,” Alvis said.
Sometimes dynamic presence is a full battalion commitment to an exercise, other times it is a single Soldier liaison officer or a meeting between key leaders from allied and partnered nations. It is constant contact with others, in Europe and the U.S.
In this particular instance, an Army Europe garrison unit is even involved in the region.
“The Black Sea is becoming part of our footprint as U.S. Army Garrison Ansbach absorbs the mission from US Army Europe,” Col. Benjamin Jones, garrison commander, U.S. Army Garrison Ansbach, Germany said.
According to Jones, during the years 2005 and 2006, the U.S. Secretary of State signed a Defense Cooperation Agreement with Romania and Bulgaria, subsequently leading to the creation of training facilities at Forward Operating Sites at Mihail Kogalniceanu (MK) and Novo Selo Training Area (NSTA) to support bilateral and multi-lateral training with Romanians, Bulgarians, U.S, and other NATO Forces. USAREUR, as the lead component, is now transitioning that responsibility for base
operations of these two sites to IMCOM-Europe.
USAREUR is a smaller force than in previous years, but leverages every opportunity to develop relationships and capabilities throughout Europe.
“Our missions in Bulgaria and Romania will further the capability of a Strong Europe, USAREUR’s main contribution to NATO and its allies and partners,” said Jones. “These sites provide training for US rotational, allied, and other partner nations’ units as well as other military to military contacts in support of USEUCOM’s and USCENTCOM’s missions and US national interests.”