11 November 2020

The Veterans’ Day: 50.000 military were rotationally deployed in theatres of operations

Florin Jipa

Around 50.000 military were rotationally deployed in international missions in the last decades, most of them in Afghanistan, where Romania has uninterruptedly been present since 2002.

Image source: MApN

They were not just spectators of the contemporary events, but took part in peace maintenance missions around the world: Albania, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iraq, Afghanistan, Sudan, Angola, Congo, Georgia, Mali, Nepal etc. These are the most important countries where the Romanian military has executed or is still executing missions that are saving people’s lives.

Currently, more than 1.300 military are on active duty in foreign missions.

Over the years, 30 military have paid the supreme sacrifice and other 20 military were wounded.

Veterans’ Day was established by Law No. 150 of 22.10.2014, modifying and completing OUG No. 82/2006 for the acknowledgement of the merits of military personnel participating in military actions and providing them and their descendants certain rights.

November 11 is a day chosen for its significance, the day the armistice was signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany to end World War 1 and create the premises of the Great Union in Romania, on December 1, 1918.

The celebration of this day is also connected to the fact that, on November 11th 2003, sublieutenant (p.m.) Iosif Silviu Fogorasi has died in the theatre of operations in Afghanistan, being the first Romanian military casualty while being part of a foreign mission.