Members of the Indiana National Guard have been deployed to Romania for the first time in 15 years, according to U.S. press reports.
The news came after Washington floated a proposal last year to withdraw 10,000 troops from the region which neighbors war-ravaged Ukraine, sparking concern among NATO allies. The number of American troops in Romania has shrunk in recent months.
In the latest announcement, U.S. military officials say the soldiers will be in Romania for nine months to help support the United States’ goal of deterring aggression and maintaining stability in the European theater.
This is only the second time Indiana’s soldiers with the Firefighter Detachment have been deployed. The first time was to Afghanistan back in 2011.
About 10 national guard soldiers flew out from Indianapolis International Airport on Tuesday. A special departure ceremony was held at the airport for the soldiers.
The soldiers being deployed “specialize in firefighting techniques to save lives, property and military equipment,” a release said according to Fox59 in Indianapolis.
Staff Sgt. Tyler Putnam, who will lead the firefighting team, said: “We look forward to working with our other detachments from multiple states,” according to the release.
The U.S has some 85,000 troops stationed in Europe, including 20,000 troops deployed to reinforce NATO’s eastern flank after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, according to the US Defense Department.
Last year, there was alarm among NATO’s eastern European allies after reports in April that Washington could withdraw 10,000 troops from Poland and Romania as the US focus shifts more towards the Indo-Pacific region, which the Pentagon called it’s “priority theater”.
