Admiral Stuart Munsch, the new head of the Allied Combined Force Command in Naples, travelled to Bulgaria and arrived at the “Novo Selo” training facility to learn more about the battle group’s joint training in Bulgaria. He observed American and Bulgarian military forces engaged in cooperative operations, along with the Deputy Chief of Defense, Lieutenant General Dimitar Iliev and the Commander of the Joint Forces Command, Major General Valeri Tsolov.
Admiral Munsch also noticed a static demonstration of the weaponry and gear used by the combat group formations. These battle groups also include soldiers from the Italian army under the direction of Colonel Francesco Alaimo.
The capabilities these battle groups developed recently during joint training with American and Bulgarian service members received a positive evaluation from Admiral Munsch. According to him, the NATO member states are constructing a collective defence by forming battlegroups, adding forces to the Alliance’s deterrence and defence.
The military personnel received praise from Lieutenant General Dimitar Iliev for their level of interoperability. He said, ” You have proven to train hard and act as a team. Now we have an opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to cooperating with the allies for the sovereignty and independence of our nation and NATO member countries”.
The Commander of the 2nd Mechanized Brigade, Brigadier General Stanimir Hristov, the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Ground Forces, Colonel Vasil Enchev, and the Deputy Commander of the Multinational Division “Southeast” in Romania, Brigadier General Plamen Yordanov, also observed the demonstrations at the “Novo Selo” training facility.
Following the explanations made by the Council of Ministers on March 2 and May 20, 2022, the battle group was established on Bulgarian soil to boost NATO’s ability and defend the territorial integrity of its member states. The territory is an experession of Bulgaria and their allies to share the responsibility for ensuring each other’s security.