Inauguration of US Troops Deployed to Romania

The U.S. military inaugurated its official deployment of troops in Romania on Saturday, as a response to the Russian invasion in neighboring Ukraine.

Five thousand troops from the 101st Airborne Division will be hosted at the country's eastern Kogalniceanu Air Base, which will serve as their main operational hub in the coming months.

In a speech to officials and soldiers, Major General J.P. McGee, the commander of 101st Airborne Division said his unit was only 198 miles away from the fighting in Kherson, which made them the closest U.S. military force to the conflict.

During last month's NATO summit in Madrid, U.S. President Joe Biden announced both a rotational brigade combat force in Romania and a permanent garrison in Poland as Washington aimed to strengthen its presence in Europe.