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Joint Task Force East HQ deploys to Romania

Joint Task Force East has completed a headquarters staff deployment to Mihail Kogainiceanu Aerodrome, Romania, to prepare for training rotations this summer.

Joint Task Force East is a European Command initiative to establish annual U.S. training rotations to Romania and Bulgaria, two of the newest members of NATO.

The headquarters staff of about 160 soldiers is drawn from across U.S. Army Europe, while a contingent of 40 personnel is from the Romania Land Forces Staff.

Throughout the summer, some 900 U.S. and 300 Romanian service members will rotate to Mihail Kogainiceanu to conduct team, squad and platoon training.

Joint Task Force East deployments began in 2007 but have been scaled back from brigade-size rotations because of U.S. commitments to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Participating units are expected to include a headquarters element of the Joint Multinational Training command, Grafenwoehr, Germany, and elements of the 5th Battalion, 7th Air Defense Regiment from Hanau, and the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment from Hohenfels.