National Army dispatches contingent to Germany

On the morning of January 31, the National Army will detach 120 soldiers to take part in an exercise held at the military base in Hohenfels. Together with the subunits of the partner nations, the Moldovan soldiers will participate in patrolling, escorting, transportation and assistance operations, Info-Prim Neo reports, quoting a communiqué from the Ministry of Defense. In a military ceremony on Monday, Acting President Marian Lupu, who is the supreme commander of the armed forces, said the military art is learned not in the barracks, but on training grounds. The Mission Rehearsal Exercise aims to assess the subunits’ preparedness for the rotation of troops within international missions. “In accordance with the National Army’s development plans, the peacekeeping subunits are to be authorized this year to perform operations at international level,” said Minister of Defense Vitalie Marinuta. Attending the ceremony, U.S. Ambassador to Moldova William Moser said that this exercise will help Moldova to strengthen its capacities and to develop new skills for taking part in international operations. The National Army will be participating in the Mission Rehearsal Exercise for the first time. The related costs will be covered by the United States European Command. The contingent will return to Moldova on February 26.