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NEWS | Aug. 30, 2018

Fourth year of Resolute Castle comes to a close in Romania

By Sgt. 1st Class Kimberly Calkins 218th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade

U.S. Soldiers assigned to the 397th Engineer Battalion, U.S. Army Reserve, stood alongside the 101st Engineer Battalion, Royal Netherlands Army and the 10th Engineer Brigade, Romanian Land Forces during the Resolute Castle 2018 closing ceremony at the Joint National Training Center in Cincu, Romania, Aug. 29, 2018. 

The relationships between the countries remain strong as the ceremony marked the end of the fourth year of Resolute Castle in Romania. The multinational training exercise, supported by the South Carolina National Guard, is a six-month mission between U.S. Army and NATO engineers in support of Atlantic Resolve.

“Resolute Castle proves one more time our nations characteristics: vision, continuity and unity,” said Col. Marek Ticulescu, the Romanian commander of the Joint National Training Center, during his opening remarks. “All of us present here today, civilian and military authorities, from three different nations, work and cooperate in a common effort to fulfill our strategic leader’s vision.” 

The U.S. and Romanian engineers worked alongside one another for 20,000 combined hours and 4,200 equipment hours for 14 weeks. Their engineer projects included constructing a concrete masonry unit building, four guard towers, and they brought the ongoing project of Mad Road, also known as Alabama Road, up to 70 percent completion. 

“We will leave this facility for other units to conduct realistic and challenging training to improve their ability to fight and win the unforgiving crucible of war in defense of the values, which our peoples hold so dear,” said Lt. Col. Ok Kim, the commander of the 397th EN BN. “We will continue to develop and expand by taking full advantage of the opportunities and the potential of a remarkable bilateral relationship with this ceremony officially closing of Resolute Castle 18.”

Although the ceremony marks the end of the training year for Resolute Castle, the engineers assigned to the 101st EN BN will continue to conduct construction missions at JNTC for the last three-week rotation of RC18. 

“This cooperation is a good opportunity to show our common interest, and investments in the European security,” said Col. Hendrik Sprong, the commander of the 101st EN BN. “I am sure the infrastructure projects we deliver, will be often used by other exercising troops in the near future.”