1st Special Operations Regiment (Romania)
Encyclopedia
The 1st Special Operations Regiment is a Romanian Land Forces
regiment
formed on 1 August 2009. It consists of the 1st Special Operations Battalion, the 60th Parachute Battalion, and the 498th Parachute Battalion http://www.scribd.com/doc/44245854/Revista-Fortelor-Tereste-Romane-nr1-2010. It headquarters is at Târgu Mureş.
n elite special forces
unit.
In the late 1990s, the Romanian Armed Forces
considered the possibility of creating a unified special operations
force (SOF). The Romanian Joint Chiefs of Staff had discussions in which they sought to decide whether to keep the existing orders of battle of elite units incorporated into each separate category of forces (ground forces, the air force and the navy), or to create a new, integrated unit. They decided on the latter plan, especially considering the (at that time) future integration of Romania into NATO.
Rapid changes took place soon after the September 11, 2001 attacks
, when the decision was made to create this new unit, which would "embed the best soldiers from all three categories of the armed forces, the ground forces, the air force and the navy" (General Chief of Staff, Gen. dr. Mihail Popescu).
Selection started in 2003. Four allied nations—the United States
, the United Kingdom
, Israel
, and Turkey
—advised in the selection process, incorporating their experience into the new SOF battalion.
In preparation for the creation of the military unit, several elite units were disbanded. These included the 119th Recon Battalion in Oradea
, the 56th Para battalion in Caracal
-Deveselu
, the 64th Para battalion at Titu
-Boteni
, as well as another para battalion in Câmpia Turzii
. All but the last were elite units that participated in a large number of international exercises, as well as deployments abroad.
The "Special Forces Battalion" was legally created in late 2005, after several batches of graduates had already been selected. Members of the SOF battalion have benefitted from courses abroad, such as the US Army Special Forces (Green Berets) course, the Force Recon course (USMC
), as well as other courses. The US Army Special Forces also sent several instructors who were stationed in Romania for periods of up to 6 months at a time. The Turkish SF were also heavily involved in counselling the selection process, due to the high number of exercises previously held in common with various units in Romania. The United Kingdom and Israel also sent instructors, although it is unclear from which units they came.
The Special Forces battalion became fully operational in 2007, with a company having been already active since 2006.
Asked if members of the unit will take part in real missions abroad, the former Defence Minister Teodor Atanasiu replied "with certainty".
-Otopeni
" (Batalionul 60 Paraşutişti) is the main paratrooper
unit of the Romanian Land Forces
. It was originally formed in 1941. It was previouly subordinated to the 1st Territorial Army Corps, and its headquarters are located in Buzău
. The regiment was part of the 2nd Paratroopers Brigade (HQ Clinceni
), which was disbanded in 2005 due to a reorganization program of the Romanian Land Forces, in order to reach NATO standards.
, established on 30 November 1990. It was previously subordinated to the 4th Infantry Division
(HQ Cluj-Napoca
) and its headquarters are located at Bacău
. The battalion was part of the 2nd Paratroopers Brigade (HQ Clinceni
), which was disbanded in 2005 due to a reorganization program of the Romanian Land Forces, in order to reach NATO standards.
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...
regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
formed on 1 August 2009. It consists of the 1st Special Operations Battalion, the 60th Parachute Battalion, and the 498th Parachute Battalion http://www.scribd.com/doc/44245854/Revista-Fortelor-Tereste-Romane-nr1-2010. It headquarters is at Târgu Mureş.
1st Special Operations Battalion
The 1st Special Operations Battalion , nicknamed (Vulturii) "The Eagles", is a RomaniaRomania
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...
n elite special forces
Special forces
Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
unit.
In the late 1990s, the Romanian Armed Forces
Romanian Armed Forces
The Land Forces, Air Force and Naval Forces of Romania are collectively known as the Romanian Armed Forces...
considered the possibility of creating a unified special operations
Special operations
Special operations are military operations that are considered "special" .Special operations are typically performed independently or in conjunction with conventional military operations. The primary goal is to achieve a political or military objective where a conventional force requirement does...
force (SOF). The Romanian Joint Chiefs of Staff had discussions in which they sought to decide whether to keep the existing orders of battle of elite units incorporated into each separate category of forces (ground forces, the air force and the navy), or to create a new, integrated unit. They decided on the latter plan, especially considering the (at that time) future integration of Romania into NATO.
Rapid changes took place soon after the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
, when the decision was made to create this new unit, which would "embed the best soldiers from all three categories of the armed forces, the ground forces, the air force and the navy" (General Chief of Staff, Gen. dr. Mihail Popescu).
Selection started in 2003. Four allied nations—the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, and Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
—advised in the selection process, incorporating their experience into the new SOF battalion.
In preparation for the creation of the military unit, several elite units were disbanded. These included the 119th Recon Battalion in Oradea
Oradea
Oradea is the capital city of Bihor County, in the Crișana region of north-western Romania. The city has a population of 204,477, according to the 2009 estimates. The wider Oradea metropolitan area has a total population of 245,832.-Geography:...
, the 56th Para battalion in Caracal
Caracal, Romania
Caracal is a city in Olt county, Romania, situated in the historic region of Oltenia, on the plains between the lower reaches of the Jiu and Olt rivers. The region's plains are well known for their agricultural specialty in cultivating grains and over the centuries, Caracal has been the trading...
-Deveselu
Deveselu
Deveselu is a commune in Olt County, Romania. It is composed of two villages, Comanca and Deveselu....
, the 64th Para battalion at Titu
Titu
Titu is a town in Dâmboviţa County, southern Romania with a population of 10,226 , best known for its yearly September 14 bâlci .Titu is divided into three main zones...
-Boteni
Boteni
Boteni is a commune in Argeş County, in southern central Romania. It is composed of four villages: Balabani, Boteni, Lunca and Muscel....
, as well as another para battalion in Câmpia Turzii
Câmpia Turzii
Câmpia Turzii is a city in Cluj County, Romania, which was formed in 1925 by the union of two villages, Ghiriş and Sâncrai...
. All but the last were elite units that participated in a large number of international exercises, as well as deployments abroad.
The "Special Forces Battalion" was legally created in late 2005, after several batches of graduates had already been selected. Members of the SOF battalion have benefitted from courses abroad, such as the US Army Special Forces (Green Berets) course, the Force Recon course (USMC
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
), as well as other courses. The US Army Special Forces also sent several instructors who were stationed in Romania for periods of up to 6 months at a time. The Turkish SF were also heavily involved in counselling the selection process, due to the high number of exercises previously held in common with various units in Romania. The United Kingdom and Israel also sent instructors, although it is unclear from which units they came.
The Special Forces battalion became fully operational in 2007, with a company having been already active since 2006.
Asked if members of the unit will take part in real missions abroad, the former Defence Minister Teodor Atanasiu replied "with certainty".
60th Parachute Battalion
The 60th Paratroopers Battalion "BăneasaBaneasa
Băneasa is a borough in the north side of Bucharest, near the Băneasa Lake . Like all north-side districts of Bucharest, it is relatively sparsely populated, with large areas of parkland...
-Otopeni
Otopeni
Otopeni is a town in Ilfov County, Romania, some north of Bucharest along the road to Ploieşti. It has 10,215 inhabitants, of which 99.0% are Romanians. One village, Odăile, is administered by the town....
" (Batalionul 60 Paraşutişti) is the main paratrooper
Paratrooper
Paratroopers are soldiers trained in parachuting and generally operate as part of an airborne force.Paratroopers are used for tactical advantage as they can be inserted into the battlefield from the air, thereby allowing them to be positioned in areas not accessible by land...
unit of 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...
. It was originally formed in 1941. It was previouly subordinated to the 1st Territorial Army Corps, and its headquarters are located in Buzău
Buzau
The city of Buzău is the county seat of Buzău County, Romania, in the historical region of Wallachia. It lies near the right bank of the Buzău River, between the south-eastern curvature of the Carpathian Mountains and the lowlands of Bărăgan Plain.The city's name dates back to 376 AD when the name...
. The regiment was part of the 2nd Paratroopers Brigade (HQ Clinceni
Clinceni
Clinceni is a commune in the southwestern part of Ilfov County, Romania. It is composed of three villages: Clinceni, Olteni and Ordoreanu. The location hosts a small airport....
), which was disbanded in 2005 due to a reorganization program of the Romanian Land Forces, in order to reach NATO standards.
498th Paratroopers Battalion
The 498th Paratroopers Battalion (Batalionul 498 Paraşutişti) is a paratroopers battalion of the Romanian Land ForcesRomanian 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...
, established on 30 November 1990. It was previously subordinated to the 4th Infantry Division
4th Infantry Division (Romania)
The 4th Infantry Division Gemina is one of three major units of the Romanian Land Forces, with its headquarters in Cluj-Napoca. Until June 15, 2008 it was designated as the 4th Territorial Army Corps "Mareşal Constantin Prezan" .-Structure in April 2007 :This structure was in force when the...
(HQ Cluj-Napoca
Cluj-Napoca
Cluj-Napoca , commonly known as Cluj, is the fourth most populous city in Romania and the seat of Cluj County in the northwestern part of the country. Geographically, it is roughly equidistant from Bucharest , Budapest and Belgrade...
) and its headquarters are located at Bacău
Bacau
Bacău is the main city in Bacău County, Romania. It covers a land surface of 43 km², and, as of January 1, 2009, has an estimated population of 177,087. The city is situated in the historical region of Moldavia, at the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains, and on the Bistriţa River...
. The battalion was part of the 2nd Paratroopers Brigade (HQ Clinceni
Clinceni
Clinceni is a commune in the southwestern part of Ilfov County, Romania. It is composed of three villages: Clinceni, Olteni and Ordoreanu. The location hosts a small airport....
), which was disbanded in 2005 due to a reorganization program of the Romanian Land Forces, in order to reach NATO standards.