CINCU, Romania – More than 100 Soldiers of the West Virginia Army National Guard’s (WVARNG) 1092nd Engineer Battalion, 601st Engineer Support Company (ESC) and 115th Vertical Construction Company (VCC) are taking part in Resolute Castle 19 at the Joint National Training Center/Cincu Training Area in Cincu, Romania, June 10 - 29.
Resolute Castle 19 is a multinational joint training exercise that conducts troop construction engineer training projects. These exercises reinforce regional assurance and deterrence, strengthen partnership capacity, assure NATO allies of our continuing commitment, promote continued partnership with host nation forces and provide quality improvements to existing infrastructure, all while supporting Atlantic Resolve, a demonstration of the United States’ commitment to the collective security of Europe.
Horizontal and vertical construction engineers and support staff from the 1092nd, 601st, and 115th are working in Romania constructing ranges, a gym/multipurpose building and upgrading infrastructure while serving alongside international allies in the region. The group departed in early June.
WVARNG 1092nd Engineer Battalion Commander Lt. Col. Robert Kincaid Jr. said this is an excellent opportunity for Soldiers to enhance interoperability and forge creative solutions to common engineer problems, while supporting NATO allies in quality training at multiple levels. In addition, this event marks a significant achievement for the WVARNG, as the 1092nd is the first National Guard battalion to lead a task force in the five years of Resolute Castle, he said.
This rotation is uniquely important because 1092nd Engineers have been providing enduring staff in Romania as a part of Task Force-South and they will remain in country until the conclusion of the exercise in September.
The WVARNG’s 111th Engineer Brigade, the 1092nd’s higher command, will take the lead of Resolute Castle 20 next year as the brigade command over the exercise’s three battalions. The valuable knowledge and experience gained by the 1092nd enduring staff will help lead the 111th to great success in 2020.
The WVARNG is the fourth rotation of Soldiers to come to the Joint National Training Center since the beginning of Resolute Castle 19 in March. Approximately 2,700 service members from 15 different U.S. state Army National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve units, as well as forces from Belgium, Netherlands, Poland, Romania and the United Kingdom will participate in Resolute Castle 19.