The rotation at the end of January within the NATO Battle Group “Sevastopol” in Romania from Cincu brought soldiers from another famous unit of the French army, the 5th Dragoon Regiment from Mailly-le-Camp, near Troyes, the prefecture of the Aube Department in the Grand-Est region of France, approximately 200 kilometers southeast of Paris. Founded in the 17th century, the regiment was re-established in 2016 and took over old fighting traditions. The “fantassins” together with the “armored cavalry” squadrons, which in present-day terminology are the mechanized infantry and the Leclerc tank companies, arrived here in Romania. We met up with them at the Eagle Warrior 25 exercise held in February at the Topraisar training ground of the “Constanța” 341st Infantry Battalion in the middle of Dobrogea (southeast).
The commander of the French troops deployed to Topraisar was Captain Pierre-Louis: “First of all, we’re trying to integrate. For example, when we train for trench warfare, we try to include a group of Romanian soldiers within our platoon and vice-versa. The Romanian soldiers are very motivated, they are highly efficient, your NCOs show professionalism and pragmatism. It is beneficial for both sides because the engineering work we do here will be used for training by the Romanian military, and for us it is time to reconnect with the reality and intensity of war”, the French captain admitted.
During fire practice, both sides used their own weapons, including, among others, “old” AKMs, but also the current standard French assault weapon, the modern HK-416. Perhaps surprisingly, Captain Pierre-Louis tells us it is not the weapon that makes the fighter:
“Yes, the AKM is old, but we can also say that sometimes old means valuable. So, it is old, but very reliable, it is easy to use, maintain and can be used in any conditions. And it is good for my men to see, know how to use and shoot these weapons, to experience new things. I think that in the end, we are still talking about an assault weapon. You know, it is not the weapon that makes the shooter, I think it is more important the one who shoots. I think, and I am quite sure, that if I gave my gun to one of your seasoned soldiers, he would shoot it very easily and would have the same results as with the gun provided”, captain Pierre-Louis also pointed out.
The French officer has his own story: he was not born in France, but in Germany in the early 90s in the city of Kleve where his father, also an active officer in the French Army, was on a mission. He has a 15-year career in the army and, although he does not admit it, he is also a “connoisseur” of the French national drink – champagne (after all, the regiment’s garrison is located in the middle of the Champagne region!). When he was young, he worked picking grapes in the vineyards in the area and he likes Romania even if he did not have time to taste any of the local sparkling wines:
“I can tell you that Romanians are very welcoming, they welcomed us arms wide open. I am glad and grateful to be here, it is a completely new experience for me. … You know, the weather is not that different. The landscape and the terrain are different, also the animals, I saw a bear in the forest and it was quite impressive”.
Captain Pierre-Louis has no doubts about the mission and purpose of NATO’s presence in Romania:
“First of all, we are here as part of bilateral agreements with Romania within NATO to strengthen the ties between allies, to train together and to deter and be ready to respond to current threats to Romania or perhaps even the whole of Europe. Secondly, it is very important for us to know our allies, to train together and to prepare for the future. The motto of our regiment is ‘Victoria Pinget’, which would roughly translate as ‘Only victory is dignifying’. And we try to do that every day!” Captain Pierre Louis added. (written by Bogdan Dinu, translated by VP)