National Day celebrations in Alba Iulia

Thousands of people attended on Sunday, December 1, the National Day of Romania, a military parade in Alba Iulia, the city where 101 years ago to the day the union between Transylvania and Romania was enshrined.

Attending the military parade on December 1, 1918 Boulevard, were Prime Minister Ludovic Orban, Minister of Agriculture Adrian Oros, Minister of Economy Virgil Popescu, MPs, MEPs, county and local administration officials.

At the military ceremony, which began with the playing of the national anthem, 1,400 soldiers and special staff of the Defense Ministry, the Interior Ministry, the Romanian Intelligence Service and the National Administration of Penitentiaries paraded 70 pieces of defense hardware including, the first time, Alba Iulia, Piranha armored personnel carriers.

During the parade, aircraft flew in the skies. The flight parade was opened by IAR 330 PUMA and IAR 330 SOCAT helicopters, one of them carrying the flag of Romania. Also saluting from the air were MIG 21 LanceRs.

Parade was opened by Commander of the military ceremony, Brigadier General Nicolae Tonu, Deputy Commander of the 4th Gemina Infantry Division, who saluted from a HUMVEE combat vehicle. Recognized as a military operations specialist and initiator of doctrinal conception, Tonu has been decorated by three of the presidents of Romania.

Next came the battle flag of the 4th Gemina Infantry Division, with the parade continuing with the flags identifying the units subordinated to Gemina, which has more than half of the national territory under its responsibility.

Saluting the crowd were detachments of the 814th Mihai Voda Tank Battalion; 17th Dragos Voda Mountain Troops Battalion; 317th Vladeasa Regiment; 50th Andrei Muresanu Antiaircraft Missile Regiment; 317th Voievodul Gelu Logistic Support Battalion; 136th Apulum Engineering Battalion; ” 26th Avram Iancu Mountain Reconnoitering Battalion; Communications and Informatics Command.

They were followed by troops of the Special Operations Forces; the Romanian Air Forces – soldiers of the 1st General Nicolae Dascalescu Ground-Air Missiles Brigade, and National Defense staff. Bringing up the rear were the Nicolae Balcescu Land Forces Academy of Sibiu and the Mihai Viteazul National Military Collegiate High School of Alba Iulia.

Parade continued with a detachment of the Romanian Gendarmerie, a detachment of the General Emergency Inspectorate, and a detachment of the Romanian Intelligence Service’s Antiterrorist Brigade.

From the National Administration of Penitentiaries, a detachment made up of public servants of the Aiud Penitentiary paraded.

Event in Alba Iulia also included a parade of defense equipment of the Romanian Army – amphibious armored personnel carriers, rocket launchers, various anti-aircraft artillery equipment, including self-propelled, ground-to-air missile systems, special military engineering vehicles , communications systems, special operations combat equipment, mobile radars.

Last to perform in the National Day parade in the city of Romania’s Greater Union was a detachment of the 811th Dej Infantry Battalion and a salute from the brass band of the 4th Gemina Infantry Division.

Source:RRA,Agerpres