General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forums101st Airborne division deploys to Romania They say it's not for training.
Link to tweet
They are there to reassure allies and deter others.
Lovie777
(12,356 posts)PortTack
(32,809 posts)lapfog_1
(29,228 posts)and Constanta is 150km to the Ukraine border... yes it is on the Black Sea... a sort of summer tourist city for Romania and Eastern Europe.
People in Bucharest have been freaking out ever since the war next door started... worried that if there was a nuclear accident that the fallout would be carried by the prevailing winds to Moldova and Romania. Odessa is not far from the Romanian border (the Danube River delta).
At the start of the war some 200,000+ Ukrainians fled to Romania... including a large number of orphan children.
I've been providing financial support for these Ukrainian children (some of whom have returned to Ukraine) since I saw that report. I have a very close friend in Bucharest who forwards the money I send them to a couple of different orphanages near Bucharest.
majdrfrtim
(318 posts)and was based at Mihail Kogalniceanu, the former Soviet air base just to the north of Constanta. That base served as the home for the USMC Black Sea Rotational Forces; the US Army (Reserves/National Guard) basically kept the base running. The Romanians, by and large, were *very* grateful for the US military presence there, as our presence on Romanian soil was (to use the words of a Romanian friend) "two middle fingers to Putin."
I was actually afraid in 2017-2020 that TFG might find a way to end the USMC & Army missions there.
MaryMagdaline
(6,856 posts)all Over Romania and that the US had built a protective shield to ward off Russian missiles? Something I knew nothing about. We do stuff over there in Europe that is never covered here.
Would love to know what the shield is about if you know.
MarineCombatEngineer
(12,449 posts)and aircraft.
MaryMagdaline
(6,856 posts)Scottie Mom
(5,812 posts)Thank you for the correction. I grew up speaking Romanian...lost most of it since I no longer live with or around people who speak it.
BeyondGeography
(39,386 posts)A slightly better-equipped looking bunch compared with Vlads crowd.
ShazzieB
(16,564 posts)Crowman2009
(2,502 posts)Caliman73
(11,752 posts)That we try to have respect for people from different life experiences is too much for right wingers. They need their world simple.
It IS simple to us though, just don't be a complete asshole to people who are different than you are... Simple.
EndlessWire
(6,573 posts)Romania invited more of us over. Moldova benefits, too, without actually participating. Next stop for Ukraine, Crimea.
Did we not have soldiers in Romania in June? Wouldn't that have been the first time in 80 years? But, certainly the most in 80 years...4,700? Highly trained troops. Two days ago...Putin can't be liking this...
Wounded Bear
(58,743 posts)A little dated, but:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_military_presence_in_Transnistria
EndlessWire
(6,573 posts)their own little breakaway region, where about 1,500 Russians are occupying that edge area.
But, the rest of Moldova is not keen to become Russian. Moldova has provisions in its constitution to remain neutral...or something like that. But, that hasn't stopped them from applying for EU membership, something that Russia can't be happy about. So, having thousands of US troops, along with Romanians, can't be all bad for Moldova. We won't be looking to annex anybody...
blue-wave
(4,369 posts)response to this?.....
UK says Russian aircraft fired missile near British spy plane over Black Sea
https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-defence-minister-wallace-russian-aircraft-fired-missile-near-british-plane-2022-10-20/
EndlessWire
(6,573 posts)Russia sank and damaged NATO shipping, and we did nothing. I don't think that we will have WW3 over this.
But, Ukraine is fast approaching the moment when it fights for Crimea. I think it is more because Romania asked for more troops to be present rather than any other provocation. It seems like a good bet in view of the pace of the Ukraine war and what's coming up.
Response to Tomconroy (Original post)
Baked Potato This message was self-deleted by its author.
Hekate
(90,867 posts)IronLionZion
(45,563 posts)dude should just skip to the bunker suicide and get it over with.
Evolve Dammit
(16,781 posts)but millions hate his dark, sadistic ass all around him. Navalny (twice poisoned) could lead Russia out of this.
Duppers
(28,127 posts)Very competent folks; they're stationed at Fort Campbell.
Glad they'll be. They'll be a deterrent Putin.
Enter stage left
(3,400 posts)Death from above!
demosincebirth
(12,544 posts)Enter stage left
(3,400 posts)MarineCombatEngineer
(12,449 posts)Ooh Rah.
CaliforniaPeggy
(149,739 posts)WarGamer
(12,488 posts)Tomconroy
(7,611 posts)orangecrush
(19,645 posts)Ilsa
(61,707 posts)sir pball
(4,762 posts)They're the major operator of F-22s, if we start moving those to Europe I'll start to sketch out.
Brother Buzz
(36,479 posts)sir pball
(4,762 posts)That's not posturing, even a mere 12 Raptors (plus AWACS) are a serious threat to air control over Ukraine. For all their cost overruns and technical issues, those jets are the finest old-fashioned "if it's flying and it's not friendly shoot it down" air superiority fighters ever built, no question. The absolute best Russia can respond with, Mig-29s and Su-30s, are simply incapable of countering them.
Is it bad to say "me likey"?
Brother Buzz
(36,479 posts)It's a Good Thing
Methinks those are mostly for show, and I can believe the rest of the gaggle is not far behind.
sir pball
(4,762 posts)So, if we have 12 there and almost 100 more to follow
we can theoretically take out the entirety of Russia's air force.
Call me a warmonger but I have always liked having the best weaponry.
Brother Buzz
(36,479 posts)I'd sure love to see Ukraine acquire a herd of A-10 Warthogs with an inexhaustible supply of ammunition.