Joint Task Force East
Encyclopedia
Task Force-East is a United States European Command
initiative executed by U.S. Army Europe (USAREUR) designed to strengthen relationships between the United States
and its Eastern European allies. This program is an innovative element of the Theater Security Cooperation program that focuses on enhancing partner capacity and fostering regional cooperation. TF-East provides the U.S. and its partners in Romania
and Bulgaria
with training facilities and, currently, a periodic integrated combined staff that stands up to facilitate combined training.
Exercises at TF-East hone U.S. and host nation-invited NATO partner nations’ ability to deploy forces and operate in austere conditions away from home stations. It enables training participants to learn from each other and improve their capabilities.
Operations in Romania and Bulgaria also provide the U.S. and its partners the opportunity to engage in and demonstrate the continuance of peaceful and friendly international relations through combined training using host nation installations to support and facilitate rotational training activities. The facilities used include the Romanian Air Force’s
Mihail Kogalniceanu Airfield
(MKAF) located in the city of the same name and the Romanian Land Forces
Babadag Training Area located approximately 70 km to the north. In Bulgaria, the primary facility is located in the Novo Selo Training Area
located near Mokren, Bulgaria. These are sovereign host nation bases with co-located U.S. funded constructed facilities that the U.S. military uses on a consignment basis as stipulated in the Defense Cooperation Agreement signed by the governments involved. The U.S. military units training at the facilities are guests; they remain under a clear U.S. chain of command.
TF-E involves a bilateral, long-term investment in both Romania and Bulgaria that strives to have a positive impact in the local areas by providing jobs for the local populace through service and support contracts in support of the operations; providing construction and medical humanitarian civil assistance projects in the local areas; and having a positive impact on the local economy by the presence of U.S. and other host nation-invited NATO forces.
, Commander, U.S. European Command and Supreme Allied Commander Europe, testified before Congress
in April 2003 of the need for the European Command to "shift west" (back to the continental U.S.), "shift south" (Africa), and "shift east" to forward operating bases with our new NATO partners.
The EETAF concept envisioned a joint capable, deployable command and control headquarters that would not have permanently assigned combat forces, but which would command rotational forces operating out of sites in Romania (up to 1700 personnel) and Bulgaria (up to 2500 personnel). The EETAF HQ would be primarily responsible for supporting security cooperation activities throughout Eastern Europe. The Army component of EETAF would be a Brigade Combat Team
(BCT) rotating on a four to six-month basis from the continental U.S. or Europe. The March 2006 Strategic Planning Guidance modified the presence requirement from a full-time BCT to a “periodic rotational force.”
U.S. Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice
signed the Defense Cooperation Agreement with Romania in 2005 and Bulgaria in 2006 dictating the stipulations of the two bi-lateral agreements.
The EETAF concept described a two-phased process to “start small and grow” the objective capability. Phase I, from November 2004 to June 2007, involved USAREUR securing the necessary host nation agreements and constructing the facilities. Phase II would begin with the first “Proof of Principle” battalion-sized rotation in June 2007 and eventually followed by a full brigade combat team as the facilities, training areas and agreements were established and validated.
The 2007 Phase I “Proof of Principle” and the 2008 Rotation were successful in validating the EETAF concept and provided key insights for further development. Key construction tasks identified for accomplishment in Phase I were not completed and insights were gained indicating significant improvement and expansion of facilities and training areas was required to meet the original brigade-sized concept; but, the plans had been developed, a timeline established, and funding allocated to complete construction of the identified Permanent Forward Operating Site
(PFOS) in Romania and, later, one in Bulgaria.
for a "permanent forward operating site” to provide necessary life and training support facilities on a more permanent basis for up to 1,600 troops. This $47.4 million facility is expected to be completed and fully operational before the 2010 rotation.
In the Romanian Land Forces Babadag Training Area, temporary facilities were constructed for the 2009 rotation that would accommodate up to 1,100. Similar facilities in Novo Selo Training Area, Bulgaria were also constructed to support the 2009 staff and rotational units there. - Both of these facilities were for joint and coalition use.
The new US-funded facilities in both Bulgaria and Romania include barracks, battalion
and brigade
headquarters, chapel, dining facility, community center, fire and military police stations, first-aid station, retail or department store, post office, movie theater, fitness center, maintenance shops, showers and restrooms, and other support buildings for training and storage.
In Bulgaria construction on a similar PFOS in the Novo Selo Training Area in Mokren, Bulgaria commenced construction in the winter of 2009 and is expected to be completed in 2012. The $54 million U.S.-funded facility is designed for 2,500 troops, providing 77 fully functional, turn-key type facilities with associated roads and infrastructure.
in 2006. Following the Proof of Principle, the construction and rotations would continue until the brigade combat team headquarters could be established by January 2008, followed by a full-up BCT-sized rotation in summer 2008. However, in May 2007, the Pentagon
announced that the 2SCR would be participating in the surge of U.S. forces to Iraq
. USAREUR replaced 2SCR’s participation in the Proof of Principle with 1-94th Field Artillery battalion, a unit well-prepared to conduct the type of training envisioned to help prepare the Romanian and Bulgarian units scheduled to deploy to Iraq and Afghanistan
. Approximately 350 U.S. and 100 Romanian troops participated in the Proof of Principle.
After the Proof of Principle exercise was completed, U.S. Army Europe issued an order for JTF-East to begin a period of “warm-basing” at the Mihail Kogalniceanu Airfield, Romania. The driver for this decision was the absence of any available rotational forces to occupy JTF-East due to the 2007 “surge” in Iraq, which significantly increased the number of troops deployed there. This decision to go to a warm-basing status was reinforced by the perception that the impact on rotational force availability would be temporary and that construction of the PFOS was not yet complete. As operational impacts grew clearer, in February 2008, USAREUR announced that the originally intended brigade-sized rotation would be down-sized to a battalion for 2008. Due to the lack of forces available in Europe
, the rotation was adjusted to a battalion-sized active component/reserve component mix. The 2008 Rotation was executed sequentially with training operations first in Romania then in Bulgaria. Approximately 3,100 total U.S., Romanian, and Bulgarian personnel participated in the first rotation. Of the 2,100 that participated in Romania, the U.S. units included the 1-200 Infantry of the New Mexico Army National Guard
, the 541st Engineer Company and B Company, 1-4th Infantry Regiment and 1st Battalion, 94th Field Artillery from Germany; Romanian Land Forces included the 341st Infantry Battalion. Nearly 1,000 participants in Bulgaria included members of the 5th Battalion, 7th Air Defense Artillery
out of Germany.
as the warm-basing commander. The first commander was Lt. Col. John Moon for 2007-08 and second was Lt. Col. Tina Kracke for the winter of 2008-2009. The plan also directed a colonel
be assigned as the commander to assume “full command authority” over all U.S. personnel operating on or from MKAF and the Novo Selo Training Area during rotations. The first colonel designee was Col. Peri A. Anest. The staff was assigned as necessary to accomplish the mission. On occasion USAREUR staff sections would surge additional personnel to JTF-East when required for a specific task or during a rotation.
During the 2009 rotation, the name "Joint Task Force-East" was formally changed to "Task Force-East" to more accurately depict the fact that the task force is led by a single U.S. military service component.
Currently (2008–2010) during the warm-basing period, the facility at Mihail Kogalniceanu Airfield supports a contingency of about 20 to 30 U.S. support personnel including U.S. Soldiers, U.S. government
civilian employees, local national contract employees, and US Army Corps of Engineers
employees who manage the construction of the PFOS. Most personnel are assigned for about a one to two-year tour of duty. In addition, since the summer of 2007, U.S. Navy Seabees
detachments of 25 to 30 construction-men and women have been stationed in MKAF. They have been on six-month tours conducting HCA projects in the areas TF-East operates in both Romania and Bulgaria.
Currently (2010), there is no significant personnel presence in Bulgaria during the off-season. The TF-East headquarters in Romania manages both operations except during the rotational exercises when a JTF-East “Forward” headquarters is stood up. The Bulgarian TF-East Forward headquarters is under the command and control of the TF-East commander based out of Romania.
-level in both Romania and Bulgaria. U.S. troops along with their host nation counterparts conduct both situational training exercises and live-fire exercises. In addition, staff elements are integrated at varying degrees for the duration of the operation to foster interoperability and working relationships.
Integrated training includes conducting individual and crew-served weapons qualification, mounted and dismounted situational training, live-fire training, mounted patrolling, combat lifesaver training, and familiarization and training on the use of non-lethal weapon systems.
Training equipment and vehicles have included High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle
s (HMMWV or Humvee), the Romanian’s VAMTAC (Vehículo de Alta Movilidad Táctico
; a Spanish-made 4-wheel drive military vehicle), variants of the U.S. Stryker
Light Armored Vehicle, the Romanian and Bulgarian armored personnel carriers in addition to various logistical support vehicles and equipment to include the Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Unit
and UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. In addition, JTF-East provides training tools to include the Engagement Skills Trainer
2000 (EST 2000) and the HMMWV Egress Assistance Trainer (HEAT).
and U.S. Soldiers and civilians from throughout U.S. Army Europe filled the bulk of the manning requirements. U.S. Army Reserve individual augmentees
as well as a few service members from other U.S. service components and the National Guard have rounded-out various positions as well. Several local national contracted employees also fill a number of the positions both during the rotational period and year round.
In Romania, the rotation included approximately 1,600 personnel including U.S., Romanian military and civilian support and the rotational units. Approximately 180 soldiers were from the Tennessee Army National Guard
’s 176th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion headquartered in Johnson City, Tenn.
; nearly 450 soldiers were from the 4th Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment from Vilseck
, Germany. Romanian personnel numbered about 600 with service members from the 1st Infantry Division to include the 33rd Mountain Troop Battalion, Posada.
U.S. units training in Bulgaria included over 1,400 personnel including soldiers from the Tennessee Army National Guard’s 1-181st Field Artillery Battalion out of Chattanooga, Tenn.
; 2nd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, from Vilseck, Germany, and the Tennessee Army National Guard’s 117th Military Police Battalion. Over 500 Bulgarian Land Forces participated including the 4th Artillery Regiment of Asenovgrad
; 68th Special Forces Brigade from Plovdiv
; 61st Mechanized Brigade of Karlovo
; 5th Mechanized Brigade of Pleven
; and Center for Preparation of Tank Specialists out of Sliven
.
Other rotational activities included humanitarian civic assistance construction missions conducted by U.S. Navy Seabees in partnership with Romanian and Bulgarian Land Force engineers. With an average cost of approximately $15,000 in materials per project over the last two years, the U.S. Department of Defense-funded program executed locally by TF-East included renovations of public facilities to include kindergartens, community centers, medical facilities and school fences.
During the 2009 rotation, approximately $185,000 in HCA funds were spent supporting five projects in Bulgaria and four in Romania. Since 2007, about 38 projects have been completed in the communities around the TF-East operational areas in Bulgaria and Romania. The HCA missions are intended to help the local communities, build positive relations, and help set conditions for the success of TF-East.
TF-East also executed medical HCA missions during 2009 rotation helping approximately 3,700 local people in 17 different communities in and around the JTF-East operational area in both Bulgaria (9 villages) and Romania (8 villages). In partnership with Romanian and Bulgarian military and community medical professionals, an 11-member U.S. medical team provided medical and dental screenings, public health education and optometry
screenings to include distributing nearly 3,400 eye glasses to people who couldn’t otherwise afford them. In addition, TF-East acquired and distributed $18,000 of locally-purchased U.S. HCA program-funded pharmaceuticals for dispensing to locals free of charge by the community medical professionals in Romania. The drugs were specifically purchased to target the main health issues identified by the HCA medical team during the screenings.
Planners continue to work the details to expand the success TF-East has had over the past three years. With the anticipated completion of the facility in Mihail Kogalniceanu, Romania in 2010 and the facility in Novo Selo Training Area, Bulgaria in 2012, even more opportunities for combined training will emerge allowing the already strong U.S.-RO and U.S.-BU relationships to grow even further.
United States European Command
The United States European Command is one of ten Unified Combatant Commands of the United States military, headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. Its area of focus covers and 51 countries and territories, including Europe, Russia, Iceland, Greenland, and Israel...
initiative executed by U.S. Army Europe (USAREUR) designed to strengthen relationships between the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and its Eastern European allies. This program is an innovative element of the Theater Security Cooperation program that focuses on enhancing partner capacity and fostering regional cooperation. TF-East provides the U.S. and its partners in Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
and Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
with training facilities and, currently, a periodic integrated combined staff that stands up to facilitate combined training.
Exercises at TF-East hone U.S. and host nation-invited NATO partner nations’ ability to deploy forces and operate in austere conditions away from home stations. It enables training participants to learn from each other and improve their capabilities.
Operations in Romania and Bulgaria also provide the U.S. and its partners the opportunity to engage in and demonstrate the continuance of peaceful and friendly international relations through combined training using host nation installations to support and facilitate rotational training activities. The facilities used include the Romanian Air Force’s
Romanian Air Force
The Romanian Air Force is the air force branch of the Romanian Armed Forces. It has an air force headquarters, an operational command, four air bases and an air defense brigade...
Mihail Kogalniceanu Airfield
RoAF 57th Air Base
The Romanian Air Force 57th Air Base was an air base located near Constanţa, at the Mihail Kogălniceanu International Airport...
(MKAF) located in the city of the same name and the Romanian Land Forces
Romanian Land Forces
The Romanian Land Forces is the army of Romania, and the main component of the Romanian Armed Forces. In recent years, full professionalisation and a major equipment overhaul have transformed the nature of the force.The Romanian Land Forces were founded on...
Babadag Training Area located approximately 70 km to the north. In Bulgaria, the primary facility is located in the Novo Selo Training Area
Novo Selo Range
The Novo Selo Training Range is a major Bulgarian military training facility established in 1962, presently used by other NATO nations as well. The range has a surface area of 144 km2 The Novo Selo Training Range is a major Bulgarian military training facility established in 1962, presently...
located near Mokren, Bulgaria. These are sovereign host nation bases with co-located U.S. funded constructed facilities that the U.S. military uses on a consignment basis as stipulated in the Defense Cooperation Agreement signed by the governments involved. The U.S. military units training at the facilities are guests; they remain under a clear U.S. chain of command.
TF-E involves a bilateral, long-term investment in both Romania and Bulgaria that strives to have a positive impact in the local areas by providing jobs for the local populace through service and support contracts in support of the operations; providing construction and medical humanitarian civil assistance projects in the local areas; and having a positive impact on the local economy by the presence of U.S. and other host nation-invited NATO forces.
Origin
While discussing initiatives directing the transformation of the U.S. military, Marine Gen. James L. JonesJames L. Jones
James Logan Jones, Jr. is the former United States National Security Advisor and a retired United States Marine Corps General....
, Commander, U.S. European Command and Supreme Allied Commander Europe, testified before Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
in April 2003 of the need for the European Command to "shift west" (back to the continental U.S.), "shift south" (Africa), and "shift east" to forward operating bases with our new NATO partners.
The EETAF concept envisioned a joint capable, deployable command and control headquarters that would not have permanently assigned combat forces, but which would command rotational forces operating out of sites in Romania (up to 1700 personnel) and Bulgaria (up to 2500 personnel). The EETAF HQ would be primarily responsible for supporting security cooperation activities throughout Eastern Europe. The Army component of EETAF would be a Brigade Combat Team
Brigade combat team
The brigade combat team is the basic deployable unit of maneuver in the US Army. A brigade combat team consists of one combat arms branch maneuver brigade, and its attached support and fire units. A brigade combat team is generally commanded by a colonel , but in rare instances it is commanded by...
(BCT) rotating on a four to six-month basis from the continental U.S. or Europe. The March 2006 Strategic Planning Guidance modified the presence requirement from a full-time BCT to a “periodic rotational force.”
U.S. Secretary of State
United States Secretary of State
The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice is an American political scientist and diplomat. She served as the 66th United States Secretary of State, and was the second person to hold that office in the administration of President George W. Bush...
signed the Defense Cooperation Agreement with Romania in 2005 and Bulgaria in 2006 dictating the stipulations of the two bi-lateral agreements.
The EETAF concept described a two-phased process to “start small and grow” the objective capability. Phase I, from November 2004 to June 2007, involved USAREUR securing the necessary host nation agreements and constructing the facilities. Phase II would begin with the first “Proof of Principle” battalion-sized rotation in June 2007 and eventually followed by a full brigade combat team as the facilities, training areas and agreements were established and validated.
The 2007 Phase I “Proof of Principle” and the 2008 Rotation were successful in validating the EETAF concept and provided key insights for further development. Key construction tasks identified for accomplishment in Phase I were not completed and insights were gained indicating significant improvement and expansion of facilities and training areas was required to meet the original brigade-sized concept; but, the plans had been developed, a timeline established, and funding allocated to complete construction of the identified Permanent Forward Operating Site
Forward Operating Site
A Forward Operating Site or Forward Operating Location is a U.S. military term for facilities, defined as "a scalable, 'warm' facility that can support sustained operations, but with only a small permanent presence of support or contractor personnel...
(PFOS) in Romania and, later, one in Bulgaria.
Facilities
In Romania prior to the first rotation in 2007, existing Mihail Kogalniceanu Airfield facilities were improved and temporary (prefabricated) facilities constructed to provide offices, billets, storage facilities, recreation and other life support needs to the JTF-East staff and rotational units. Most of these same temporary facilities, in addition to some remodeled structures, are what JTF-E used at MKAF through the 2009 rotation. In 2007, construction commenced in the former Romanian 34th Mechanized Brigade area in Mihail KogălniceanuMihail Kogalniceanu, Constanta
Mihail Kogălniceanu is a commune in Constanţa County, Romania, and is located 25 km northwest of Constanţa proper. The commune includes three villages:* Mihail Kogălniceanu - historical names: Kara Murat , Bulgari and Ferdinand I* Palazu Mic...
for a "permanent forward operating site” to provide necessary life and training support facilities on a more permanent basis for up to 1,600 troops. This $47.4 million facility is expected to be completed and fully operational before the 2010 rotation.
In the Romanian Land Forces Babadag Training Area, temporary facilities were constructed for the 2009 rotation that would accommodate up to 1,100. Similar facilities in Novo Selo Training Area, Bulgaria were also constructed to support the 2009 staff and rotational units there. - Both of these facilities were for joint and coalition use.
The new US-funded facilities in both Bulgaria and Romania include barracks, battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
and brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
headquarters, chapel, dining facility, community center, fire and military police stations, first-aid station, retail or department store, post office, movie theater, fitness center, maintenance shops, showers and restrooms, and other support buildings for training and storage.
In Bulgaria construction on a similar PFOS in the Novo Selo Training Area in Mokren, Bulgaria commenced construction in the winter of 2009 and is expected to be completed in 2012. The $54 million U.S.-funded facility is designed for 2,500 troops, providing 77 fully functional, turn-key type facilities with associated roads and infrastructure.
After Proof of Principle
The original 2007 Proof of Principle was originally planned to be conducted by a battalion-sized element from the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment (2SCR) that had deployed to GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in 2006. Following the Proof of Principle, the construction and rotations would continue until the brigade combat team headquarters could be established by January 2008, followed by a full-up BCT-sized rotation in summer 2008. However, in May 2007, the Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
announced that the 2SCR would be participating in the surge of U.S. forces to Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. USAREUR replaced 2SCR’s participation in the Proof of Principle with 1-94th Field Artillery battalion, a unit well-prepared to conduct the type of training envisioned to help prepare the Romanian and Bulgarian units scheduled to deploy to Iraq and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. Approximately 350 U.S. and 100 Romanian troops participated in the Proof of Principle.
After the Proof of Principle exercise was completed, U.S. Army Europe issued an order for JTF-East to begin a period of “warm-basing” at the Mihail Kogalniceanu Airfield, Romania. The driver for this decision was the absence of any available rotational forces to occupy JTF-East due to the 2007 “surge” in Iraq, which significantly increased the number of troops deployed there. This decision to go to a warm-basing status was reinforced by the perception that the impact on rotational force availability would be temporary and that construction of the PFOS was not yet complete. As operational impacts grew clearer, in February 2008, USAREUR announced that the originally intended brigade-sized rotation would be down-sized to a battalion for 2008. Due to the lack of forces available in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, the rotation was adjusted to a battalion-sized active component/reserve component mix. The 2008 Rotation was executed sequentially with training operations first in Romania then in Bulgaria. Approximately 3,100 total U.S., Romanian, and Bulgarian personnel participated in the first rotation. Of the 2,100 that participated in Romania, the U.S. units included the 1-200 Infantry of the New Mexico Army National Guard
New Mexico National Guard
The New Mexico National Guard consists of the:*New Mexico Army National Guard **1st and 2nd Battalions, 200th Infantry**93rd Troop Command, 44th Army Band**111th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade**200th Infantry Brigade*New Mexico Air National Guard...
, the 541st Engineer Company and B Company, 1-4th Infantry Regiment and 1st Battalion, 94th Field Artillery from Germany; Romanian Land Forces included the 341st Infantry Battalion. Nearly 1,000 participants in Bulgaria included members of the 5th Battalion, 7th Air Defense Artillery
5th Battalion 7th Air Defense Artillery Regiment
The 5th Battalion, 7th Air Defense Artillery Regiment is an Air Defense unit of the United States Army. It is currently a subordinate unit of the 357th Air & Missile Defense Detachment and comprises six battery level units...
out of Germany.
Concept of Warm-Basing
USAREUR directed the execution of "warm-basing" at JTF-East in November 2007 to maintain the facilities and facilitate various training missions and on-going humanitarian civil assistance (HCA) missions. The site at Novo Selo Training Area in Bulgaria was closed completely, while the area of the Temporary Forward Operating Site and PFOS construction at MKAF, Romania became the focal point of JTF-East efforts. The plan directed that USAREUR designate a lieutenant colonelLieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
as the warm-basing commander. The first commander was Lt. Col. John Moon for 2007-08 and second was Lt. Col. Tina Kracke for the winter of 2008-2009. The plan also directed a colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
be assigned as the commander to assume “full command authority” over all U.S. personnel operating on or from MKAF and the Novo Selo Training Area during rotations. The first colonel designee was Col. Peri A. Anest. The staff was assigned as necessary to accomplish the mission. On occasion USAREUR staff sections would surge additional personnel to JTF-East when required for a specific task or during a rotation.
During the 2009 rotation, the name "Joint Task Force-East" was formally changed to "Task Force-East" to more accurately depict the fact that the task force is led by a single U.S. military service component.
Currently (2008–2010) during the warm-basing period, the facility at Mihail Kogalniceanu Airfield supports a contingency of about 20 to 30 U.S. support personnel including U.S. Soldiers, U.S. government
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
civilian employees, local national contract employees, and US Army Corps of Engineers
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
employees who manage the construction of the PFOS. Most personnel are assigned for about a one to two-year tour of duty. In addition, since the summer of 2007, U.S. Navy Seabees
Seabee
Seabees are members of the United States Navy construction battalions. The word Seabee is a proper noun that comes from the initials of Construction Battalion, of the United States Navy...
detachments of 25 to 30 construction-men and women have been stationed in MKAF. They have been on six-month tours conducting HCA projects in the areas TF-East operates in both Romania and Bulgaria.
Currently (2010), there is no significant personnel presence in Bulgaria during the off-season. The TF-East headquarters in Romania manages both operations except during the rotational exercises when a JTF-East “Forward” headquarters is stood up. The Bulgarian TF-East Forward headquarters is under the command and control of the TF-East commander based out of Romania.
Training
Training conducted at TF-East starts at the individual level and continues up to companyCompany (military unit)
A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...
-level in both Romania and Bulgaria. U.S. troops along with their host nation counterparts conduct both situational training exercises and live-fire exercises. In addition, staff elements are integrated at varying degrees for the duration of the operation to foster interoperability and working relationships.
Integrated training includes conducting individual and crew-served weapons qualification, mounted and dismounted situational training, live-fire training, mounted patrolling, combat lifesaver training, and familiarization and training on the use of non-lethal weapon systems.
Training equipment and vehicles have included High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle
High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle
The High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle , better known as the Humvee, is a military 4WD motor vehicle created by AM General. It has largely supplanted the roles formerly served by smaller Jeeps such as the M151 MUTT, the M561 "Gama Goat", their M718A1 and M792 ambulance versions, the CUCV,...
s (HMMWV or Humvee), the Romanian’s VAMTAC (Vehículo de Alta Movilidad Táctico
URO VAMTAC
The URO VAMTAC is a Spanish four-wheel drive military vehicle manufactured by the UROVESA. It is similar in appearance and design to the HMMWV of the United States military. More than 2,000 of the vehicles have been delivered to the Spanish Armed Forces. Several other countries operate the VAMTAC...
; a Spanish-made 4-wheel drive military vehicle), variants of the U.S. Stryker
Stryker
The IAV Stryker is a family of eight-wheeled, 4-wheel-drive , armored fighting vehicles derived from the Canadian LAV III and produced by General Dynamics Land Systems, in use by the United States Army. The vehicle is named for two American servicemen who posthumously received the Medal of Honor:...
Light Armored Vehicle, the Romanian and Bulgarian armored personnel carriers in addition to various logistical support vehicles and equipment to include the Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Unit
Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Unit
A reverse osmosis water purification unit is a portable, self-contained water treatment plant. Designed for military use, it can provide potable water from nearly any water source. There are many models in use by the United States armed forces and the Canadian Forces...
and UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. In addition, JTF-East provides training tools to include the Engagement Skills Trainer
Engagement Skills Trainer
The Engagement Skills Trainer is a simulator that provides marksmanship training and trains soldiers on virtually all aspects of firearms training from calibrating weapons, to weapons qualification, to collective fire scenarios in numerous environments....
2000 (EST 2000) and the HMMWV Egress Assistance Trainer (HEAT).
Headquarters
The rotational TF-E headquarters have been a combined staff of U.S.-Romanian (in Romania) and U.S.-Bulgarian (in Bulgaria) forces. Troops from the Romanian and Bulgarian Land ForcesBulgarian land forces
The Bulgarian Land Forces are one of the service branches of the Bulgarian Armed Forces. Their existence is to be traced back to the establishment of the First Bulgarian Empire in 681. In more recent history the Land Forces have played an active role in the Bulgarian participation in the Balkan...
and U.S. Soldiers and civilians from throughout U.S. Army Europe filled the bulk of the manning requirements. U.S. Army Reserve individual augmentees
Individual augmentee
An Individual Augmentee is a United States military member assigned to a unit as a TAD/TDY status. Individual Augmentees can be used to fill shortages or can be used when an individual with specialized knowledge or skill sets is required. As a result, Individual Augmentees can include members...
as well as a few service members from other U.S. service components and the National Guard have rounded-out various positions as well. Several local national contracted employees also fill a number of the positions both during the rotational period and year round.
Joint Task Force-East/Task Force-East 2009
Commanded by Col. Gary R. Russ, the 2009 TF-East rotation in both Romania and Bulgaria included, for the first time, inclusion of approximately 30 Stryker combat vehicles in each country along with about the same number of Romanian and Bulgarian armored personnel carriers. The 2009 rotation was the first rotation with concurrent training for the duration of the rotation in both countries from the first week of August to the end of October.In Romania, the rotation included approximately 1,600 personnel including U.S., Romanian military and civilian support and the rotational units. Approximately 180 soldiers were from the Tennessee Army National Guard
Tennessee Army National Guard
The Tennessee Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard. Nationwide, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the US Army's available combat forces and approximately one third of its support organization...
’s 176th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion headquartered in Johnson City, Tenn.
Johnson City, Tennessee
Johnson City is a city in Carter, Sullivan, and Washington counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee, with most of the city being in Washington County...
; nearly 450 soldiers were from the 4th Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment from Vilseck
Vilseck
Vilseck is a town in the Oberpfalz region of northeastern Bavaria, Germany situated on the river Vils, a tributary of the Naab river.The town is geographically separate from a nearby large American military base known as the Rose Barracks but more commonly referred to as Vilseck...
, Germany. Romanian personnel numbered about 600 with service members from the 1st Infantry Division to include the 33rd Mountain Troop Battalion, Posada.
U.S. units training in Bulgaria included over 1,400 personnel including soldiers from the Tennessee Army National Guard’s 1-181st Field Artillery Battalion out of Chattanooga, Tenn.
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga is the fourth-largest city in the US state of Tennessee , with a population of 169,887. It is the seat of Hamilton County...
; 2nd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, from Vilseck, Germany, and the Tennessee Army National Guard’s 117th Military Police Battalion. Over 500 Bulgarian Land Forces participated including the 4th Artillery Regiment of Asenovgrad
Asenovgrad
Asenovgrad is a town in central southern Bulgaria, part of Plovdiv Province.-History:Asenovgrad was founded by the Thracians as Stenímachos around 300–400 BC. In 72 BC the city was captured by the troops of the Roman Empire as part of the Roman expansion towards the Black Sea. After a long period...
; 68th Special Forces Brigade from Plovdiv
Plovdiv
Plovdiv is the second-largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia with a population of 338,153 inhabitants according to Census 2011. Plovdiv's history spans some 6,000 years, with traces of a Neolithic settlement dating to roughly 4000 BC; it is one of the oldest cities in Europe...
; 61st Mechanized Brigade of Karlovo
Karlovo
Karlovo is a picturesque and a historically important town in central Bulgaria located in a fertile valley along the river Stryama at the southern foot of the Balkan Mountains...
; 5th Mechanized Brigade of Pleven
Pleven
Pleven is the seventh most populous city in Bulgaria. Located in the northern part of the country, it is the administrative centre of Pleven Province, as well as of the subordinate Pleven municipality...
; and Center for Preparation of Tank Specialists out of Sliven
Sliven
Sliven is the eighth-largest city in Bulgaria and the administrative and industrial centre of Sliven Province and municipality. It is a relatively large town with 89,848 inhabitants, as of February 2011....
.
Other rotational activities included humanitarian civic assistance construction missions conducted by U.S. Navy Seabees in partnership with Romanian and Bulgarian Land Force engineers. With an average cost of approximately $15,000 in materials per project over the last two years, the U.S. Department of Defense-funded program executed locally by TF-East included renovations of public facilities to include kindergartens, community centers, medical facilities and school fences.
During the 2009 rotation, approximately $185,000 in HCA funds were spent supporting five projects in Bulgaria and four in Romania. Since 2007, about 38 projects have been completed in the communities around the TF-East operational areas in Bulgaria and Romania. The HCA missions are intended to help the local communities, build positive relations, and help set conditions for the success of TF-East.
TF-East also executed medical HCA missions during 2009 rotation helping approximately 3,700 local people in 17 different communities in and around the JTF-East operational area in both Bulgaria (9 villages) and Romania (8 villages). In partnership with Romanian and Bulgarian military and community medical professionals, an 11-member U.S. medical team provided medical and dental screenings, public health education and optometry
Optometry
Optometry is a health care profession concerned with eyes and related structures, as well as vision, visual systems, and vision information processing in humans. Optometrists, or Doctors of Optometry, are state licensed medical professionals trained to prescribe and fit lenses to improve vision,...
screenings to include distributing nearly 3,400 eye glasses to people who couldn’t otherwise afford them. In addition, TF-East acquired and distributed $18,000 of locally-purchased U.S. HCA program-funded pharmaceuticals for dispensing to locals free of charge by the community medical professionals in Romania. The drugs were specifically purchased to target the main health issues identified by the HCA medical team during the screenings.
Future
The year 2009 marked the third rotation of JTF-E/TF-East and it continues to be one of the USAREUR commander’s strategic priorities playing a key role in EUCOM’s theater security cooperation program. Romania and Bulgaria are strong and important allies of the U.S. and have provided consistent support to U.S. overseas contingency operations; both of these countries currently have forces fighting alongside U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Training together hones and develops techniques, tactics, and procedures that assist tactical units in working together in combat. Additionally, building interoperability, professional and personal relationships are essential for the success of today and tomorrow’s coalitions and TF-East is a unique tool to help accomplish that.Planners continue to work the details to expand the success TF-East has had over the past three years. With the anticipated completion of the facility in Mihail Kogalniceanu, Romania in 2010 and the facility in Novo Selo Training Area, Bulgaria in 2012, even more opportunities for combined training will emerge allowing the already strong U.S.-RO and U.S.-BU relationships to grow even further.