101st Airborne division deploys to Romania They say it's not for training.

[Tomconroy]

Link to tweet

They are there to reassure allies and deter others.

[Lovie777]

1. Putin is a fucking madman .......

[PortTack]

2. He is! A strong show of military force is the only thing poopin understands

[lapfog_1]

3. Romania, not Rumania

and Constanta is 150km to the Ukraine border... yes it is on the Black Sea... a sort of summer tourist city for Romania and Eastern Europe.

People in Bucharest have been freaking out ever since the war next door started... worried that if there was a nuclear accident that the fallout would be carried by the prevailing winds to Moldova and Romania. Odessa is not far from the Romanian border (the Danube River delta).

At the start of the war some 200,000+ Ukrainians fled to Romania... including a large number of orphan children.

I've been providing financial support for these Ukrainian children (some of whom have returned to Ukraine) since I saw that report. I have a very close friend in Bucharest who forwards the money I send them to a couple of different orphanages near Bucharest.

[majdrfrtim]

8. I was deployed to Romania in 2015-2016

and was based at Mihail Kogalniceanu, the former Soviet air base just to the north of Constanta. That base served as the home for the USMC Black Sea Rotational Forces; the US Army (Reserves/National Guard) basically kept the base running. The Romanians, by and large, were *very* grateful for the US military presence there, as our presence on Romanian soil was (to use the words of a Romanian friend) "two middle fingers to Putin."

I was actually afraid in 2017-2020 that TFG might find a way to end the USMC & Army missions there.

[MaryMagdaline]

11. I ran into Romanian American family in Paris. Romanian woman married to GI said American troops are

all Over Romania and that the US had built a protective shield to ward off Russian missiles? Something I knew nothing about. We do stuff over there in Europe that is never covered here.

Would love to know what the shield is about if you know.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

27. Probably Patriot Missile System for shooting down incoming missiles

and aircraft.

[MaryMagdaline]

30. Thanks

[Scottie Mom]

16. mulțumesc

Thank you for the correction. I grew up speaking Romanian...lost most of it since I no longer live with or around people who speak it.

[BeyondGeography]

4. The so-called decadent, desiccated West getting in Putin's grill

A slightly better-equipped looking bunch compared with Vlad’s crowd.

[ShazzieB]

6. Also undoubtedly MUCH better trained and disciplined! 😁

[Crowman2009]

17. Kinda of hypocritical for pooty-poot to call us decadent given how lavish his mansions are.

[Caliman73]

32. When he says "decadent" he means we don't kill LGBTQ people".

That we try to have respect for people from different life experiences is too much for right wingers. They need their world simple.

It IS simple to us though, just don't be a complete asshole to people who are different than you are... Simple.

[EndlessWire]

5. Bumping this

Romania invited more of us over. Moldova benefits, too, without actually participating. Next stop for Ukraine, Crimea.

Did we not have soldiers in Romania in June? Wouldn't that have been the first time in 80 years? But, certainly the most in 80 years...4,700? Highly trained troops. Two days ago...Putin can't be liking this...

[Wounded Bear]

7. Moldava is partially occupied by Russian troops...

A little dated, but:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_military_presence_in_Transnistria

To this day, Moldova continues requesting the withdrawal of the Russian troops from Transnistria, having done so as recently as in 2021.[26] Furthermore, in 2022, amid an increase in tensions between Ukraine and Russia which served as a prelude to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, allegations by Ukrainian intelligence appeared that said Russia was trying to prepare "provocations" against the Russian soldiers in Transnistria in order to create a pretext for an invasion of Ukraine.[27]

[EndlessWire]

13. Yes, Moldova has

their own little breakaway region, where about 1,500 Russians are occupying that edge area.

But, the rest of Moldova is not keen to become Russian. Moldova has provisions in its constitution to remain neutral...or something like that. But, that hasn't stopped them from applying for EU membership, something that Russia can't be happy about. So, having thousands of US troops, along with Romanians, can't be all bad for Moldova. We won't be looking to annex anybody...

[blue-wave]

9. Could it be in

response to this?.....

UK says Russian aircraft fired missile near British spy plane over Black Sea

https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-defence-minister-wallace-russian-aircraft-fired-missile-near-british-plane-2022-10-20/

[EndlessWire]

12. In the early days of the war

Russia sank and damaged NATO shipping, and we did nothing. I don't think that we will have WW3 over this.

But, Ukraine is fast approaching the moment when it fights for Crimea. I think it is more because Romania asked for more troops to be present rather than any other provocation. It seems like a good bet in view of the pace of the Ukraine war and what's coming up.

[Hekate]

14. KnR

[IronLionZion]

15. A big middle finger in Putin's face

dude should just skip to the bunker suicide and get it over with.

[Evolve Dammit]

18. surprised nobody has slipped him the Novachok (sp?) yet. Sure he's very, very guarded

but millions hate his dark, sadistic ass all around him. Navalny (twice poisoned) could lead Russia out of this.

[Duppers]

19. Wow! Thank you!

Very competent folks; they're stationed at Fort Campbell.

Glad they'll be. They'll be a deterrent Putin.

[Enter stage left]

20. AIRBORNE...

Death from above!

[demosincebirth]

22. Screaming Eagles!

[Enter stage left]

23. De Oppesso Liber!

[MarineCombatEngineer]

37. Nothing but the highest respect for Airborne Forces,

Ooh Rah.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

21. K&R

[WarGamer]

24. Good to see you edit the spelling... I thought you meant the country next to Kerplakistan.

[Tomconroy]

28. You are blocked. Poof.

[orangecrush]

25. KIck

[Ilsa]

26. K&R nt

[sir pball]

29. Warming up a little! I'll get real worried if the 1st Fighter Wing moves to Ramstein.

They're the major operator of F-22s, if we start moving those to Europe I'll start to sketch out.

[Brother Buzz]

31. Back in August, a dozen F-22s were prepositioned at 32nd Tactical Air Base, Łask, Poland

https://www.usafe.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3116331/us-f-22s-forward-deploy-to-32nd-tactical-air-base-ask-poland/

[sir pball]

33. Oh, oh my. I did not know that.

That's not posturing, even a mere 12 Raptors (plus AWACS) are a serious threat to air control over Ukraine. For all their cost overruns and technical issues, those jets are the finest old-fashioned "if it's flying and it's not friendly shoot it down" air superiority fighters ever built, no question. The absolute best Russia can respond with, Mig-29s and Su-30s, are simply incapable of countering them.

Is it bad to say "me likey"?

[Brother Buzz]

34. As Martha Stewart would say

It's a Good Thing

Methinks those are mostly for show, and I can believe the rest of the gaggle is not far behind.

[sir pball]

35. IIRC one 22 can neutralize twenty Gen4 adversaries.

So, if we have 12 there and almost 100 more to follow…we can theoretically take out the entirety of Russia's air force.

Call me a warmonger but I have always liked having the best weaponry.

[Brother Buzz]

36. The F-22s are our Big Top show, but.....

I'd sure love to see Ukraine acquire a herd of A-10 Warthogs with an inexhaustible supply of ammunition.