Romanian transit center celebrates major milestone

by Senior Master Sgt. Steve Horton
HQ 3rd Expeditionary Air Forces Public Affairs

3/3/2014 - MIHAIL KOGALNICEANU AIR BASE, Romania  -- The Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base Passenger Transit Center celebrated a major milestone with a ceremony here Feb. 28 to mark the attainment of full operational capability.

Maj. Gen. John R. O'Connor, the commanding general of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command, and Air Force Maj. Gen. Laurian Anastasof, chief of the Romanian Air Force Staff, co-hosted the event which marked a major joint, combined achievement and launched a new level of mission capability.

"The establishment of the transit center at Mihail Kogălniceanu strengthens an effective network of capabilities protecting the interests of the U.S. and our allies," O'Connor said. "Our partnership helps to shape the region, build trust, and provide critical capabilities to our combatant commanders as the mission in Afghanistan winds down."

"Both NATO and strategic partnership commitments of the Romanian Air Force, as well as the path we have chosen to meet them, give expression to our solidarity and determination to successfully complete joint projects such as this one on the benefit of peace, freedom and democracy," Anastasof added. "The notable accomplishments in theaters of operations clearly show the benefits of military cooperation such as between the U.S. and Romania, guided by the principle, 'we train together - we fight together.'"

The MK Air Base Passenger Transit Center is absorbing much of the workload from the Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyz Republic which is scheduled to close later this year.

The transit center provides essential logistics, transportation, and morale and welfare services to accommodate the flow of U.S. service members into and out of European and Central Asia operating areas. The base now serves as a hub for U.S. Army soldiers and Marines deploying to, and redeploying from Afghanistan.

"From my perspective, the MK passenger transit center is yet another example of why the United States benefits from having forces that are 'Forward, Ready, Now,'" Col. Robert Dotson, MK Air Base senior airfield authority said. "Without the forward basing of forces that are ever ready to execute missions shoulder-to-shoulder with our partner nations across Europe, you wouldn't have seen such a rapid and smooth stand up of the new passenger transit center at MK."

"The 21st Theater Sustainment Command, joined by elements of United States Air Forces in Europe, leveraged the assistance of the Black Sea Area Support team and existing Army infrastructure at MK, as well as strong relationships with our Romanian civil and military partners, in order to seamlessly set the conditions for effective troop movement operations at MK starting in January 2014." he said. "The team was simultaneously rounded out by 18th Air Force's 780th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, and what you see now is a perfect picture of teamwork between joint and combined partners, supporting an immensely important national mission. MK serves as a poignant reminder of how forward based forces continue to enable U.S. global vigilance, global reach, and global power on a daily basis."