First Romanian soldiers die in Afghanistan

A soldier from the 812th Infantry Battalion "Neagoe Basarab", nicknamed "Carpathians' Hawks", checking his communication equipment at Kandahar Air Field prior to the start of Operation Carpathians' Thunder, March 8, 2003.
The operation was conducted in the Zobol provence, 130 km N-E of Kandahar, in the most dangerous part of Afghanistan.
The Romanian soldiers are deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

November 2003. It's been one and a half years now since large numbers of soldiers from the Romanian Armed Forces have been performing combat operations in Afghanistan.
Romania has sent, starting with Operation Desert Shield in 1990 and the Gulf War of 1991, more than 12,000 soldiers abroad. Today, the Armed Forces, numbering around 110,000 men, have 2,000 troops deployed abroad.
For the Romanian military, sending combatants to Kandahar, Afghanistan meant the first major active combat operation since World War Two. More than 700 men are stationed there at any one time. A small detachment of MP's, liason officers, doctors and sappers are stationed in Kabul, while an entire infantry battalion, plus more MP's, sapper detachment, NBC, doctors and other categories of forces are stationed in Kandahar. A Romanian C-130 Hercules in Afghanistan
For the first six months, the 26th Infantry Battalion "Neagoe Basarab", nicknamed the "Red Scorpions", from the 2nd Mecanized Brigade in Bucharest, was deployed to Kandahar.
Then it was rotated with the 812th Infantry Brigade "Carpathians' Hawks", from the 81st Mecanized Brigade in Bistrita. In the pictures above, you can see soldiers from that Brigade, two infantry men from the 812th battalion and one MP stationed in Kabul.
Then, 6 months later, that battalion was rotated with the 151st Infantry Battalion "Calugareni", nicknamed the "Black Wolves", from the 15th Mecanized Brigade in Iasi.
It was already the third battalion to perform missions in the most dangerous area in Afghanistan, east of Kandahar, right at the border with Pakistan, where the Islamic extremists are at their strongest, and where Taliban forces and Al-Qaeda are believed to be regroupping.
So, the inveitable happened.
In the 14th of November, 2003, a Romanian armour patrol was exetuing a mission in the area of Spin Puldac, just a few kilometers away of Pakistan.
As the Romanian convoy was passing thru, a sniper shot one of the Romanian soldiers in the back and in the neck. Another one was quickly gunned down in a matter of seconds.
"The shots came from an Afghani checkpoint just 7 meters away", stated Sergiu Nicolaescu, a famous war movies producer in Romania, now also a secretary of state in the Ministry of Defence. "The attackers wear military uniforms", he continues.
Sgt-major Iosif Silviu Fogorasi was killed on spot. Sgt-major Mihai Anton Samuila survived for three more days. The Romanian convoy, composed of 8 TABC-79 Romanian-made armoured scouting vehicles, stopped and opened fire against the attackers. The chief of staff of the Afghani Armed Forces, general Said Mohammad stated the next day that there was only one sniper, and that the Romanians opened fire and killed him soon after he made his first shots.
That same day, the 12th of november, the Taliban have revendicated the attack, stating that all the Allied soldiers in Afghanistan will meet the same fate and that the large numbers of American and Romanian troops stationed there will leave home in body bags.
The Romanian convoy was returning from a "village-team" mission. These missions are reggularly performed by Allied troops in Afghanistan in order to build a connection with the local population and help the villagers in their daily struggles with the lack of drinkable water and food.
In the 11th of november, the general chief of staff of the Romanian Armed Forces, general dr. Mihail Popescu, offer the highest military distinction, the Military Virtute in the Knight's Rank to the late Sgt-major Iosif Silviu Fogorasi.
The other soldier, Sgt-major Mihai Anton Samuila was given first aid by his Romanian mates until they reached base; there, the Americans from the 82nd Airborne Division took him into their main medical facility, where he stayed in a level four coma for three more days.
Sgt-major Mihai Anton Samuila also died, in the 14th of november 2003. He turned 35 just five days before his death.
Despite the fact that a large search and destroy operation to hunt the attackers was launched, more than 200 American soldiers came to Kandahar Air Field to present their honour to the deceased Romanian soldiers, as they were embarked onboard a Romanian Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft, on route to Karachi, Pakistan, and then Bucharest, Romania.
The American soldiers also gathered more than 4,000 $ and donated the money to the families of the two soldiers.
The U.S. President, George W. Bush also sent a written message to the families, in the 14th of november, expressing his deep and profound regret about the events and assuring the two families of his full support and understanding.
The American soldiers stationed in Kandahar came to the Romanian battalion's barracks and assured the Romanian soldiers and reporters present there that they (US soldiers) will personally hunt down the attackers.
A ceremonial was also organized in Oradea International Airport, the native city of both soldiers.
"The two men, who had belonged to the UM 01343 military unit in Beius, were advanced post-mortem to the rank of 2nd lieutenant", stated Lt-Col Gelaledin Nezir, the official spokesman of the Romanian Armed Forces.
Defence Ministry, Ioan Mircea Pascu, as well as the city mayor and over 400 people participated at their funneral in Oradea, on the 14th of november. Foreign Ministry Mircea Geoana, Prime-Minister Adrian Nastase and President Ion Iliescu also sent messages to the families.
Lt-Col Gelaledin Nezir stated that the Romanian Armed Forces will take over the $250/month payment rate for the house that 2nd lt. Fogorosi and his wife were paying rates for. Also, the Armed Forces will provide his wife, Speranta (Hope in English) Samuila, with a job in the UM 01343 military unit, where her late husband was employed. The payment rate for the house will last for 20 more years.
And so, everybody had expected casualties, as Romania sends thousands and thousands of troops abroad, in support of EU, NATO and UN operations, but when those casualties came, it was still a shock to everybody.
However, Romania's determination to continue playing its major role in the war on terror, as well as its large military contributions to it, had convinced the United States and the Allies that Romania is a trusted ally that will never fade away.