State Command Sgt. Major Dennis Basilio, left, congratulates Sgt. 1st Class Dan Rogers, first sergeant for the 137th Military Police Det., for a job well done. A Nevada group led by Maj. Gen. Ondra Berry, the adjutant general, visited the MPs in late January.
Photo by Steve Ranson.
MIHAIL KOGALNICEANU ROMANIA — In less than a decade, the Nevada Army National Guard’s state chaplain has seen individual growth at Mihail Kogalniceanu (MK) Air Base, a Romanian Air Force-run NATO installation.
The base is 25 miles east of Constanta.
Maj. Todd Brown accompanied a group of eight Nevada National Guard officers and the command sergeant major in late January to visit a garrison where the Carson City-based 137th Military Police Det., keeps law and order. Led by the adjutant general, Maj. Gen. Ondra Berry, they arrived at the base on a Tuesday morning. One of the reasons for the visit was to ensure the MPs were not experiencing any problems at the MK Air Base and prior to the unit returning to Nevada in late April.
Brown saw the many changes at the air base since he first reported to MK Air Base in 2014 for a 30-day tour.
“I was at a brand-new building for the ribbon-cutting,” Brown recalled, wondering if the base would grow and become a key base with an eye on Russia.
During the war in Afghanistan, the United States began using Romania as a staging area in October 2013 after, Kyrgyzstan, a former Soviet republic, opted not to extend a lease into mid-2014.
Brown’s hunch turned accurate because in 2014, Russia stirred up the region by invading and then illegally annexing the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine. The Russians calculated their move by waiting until the 2014 Winter Olympics ended at Sochi, a major resort city next to the Black Sea. Furthermore, the Russians installed a pro-Moscow president.
Brown said the military police stationed at MK Air Base nine years ago had a footprint at the installation, but nothing close to what he saw on his second trip to Romania.
“The number of soldiers here have a bigger presence now,” said Brown, who was also the chaplain in 2014. “They’re doing a fantastic job.”
Brown wanted to know how each soldier was feeling during the deployment which began in June with a ceremony in Carson City. He said the morale is good, and the command is taking care of its MPs who have a front-row seat “on what’s going on in the world.”
“Fantastic,” snapped Brown when discussing his visit. “There’s good comradery and they’re upbeat. They’re enjoying what they’re doing, and they’re keeping contact back home.”
Brown noted how the MPs are helping each other with their duties and learning from one another. The chaplain gives high marks to the company commander, Capt. Bryon Hernandez, and first sergeant, Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Rogers. He also has a shout out to Staff Sgt. Tom Urso, a Fallon-based Nevada State trooper. Brown and Urso deployed together eight years ago when they were with a different unit. Brown feels Urso’s presence has provided evenness to the deployment.
“Not only does Tom bring a wealth of knowledge on how deployments work but he’s also familiar with the military atmosphere …very mature,” Brown said. “Tom is a husband and father and knows how to manage the family back home and away. Tom brings everything a soldier needs to know.”
Brown is a big proponent of Purple Resolve. The chaplain further explained he talks to the soldiers about their skill sets and how well they do the job. He said Purple Resolve is more of an approach or attitude on how well soldiers and airmen do their jobs.
Brig. Gen. Troy Armstrong, Land Component commander, said the Nevada Guard and its leaders must take care of the soldiers.
“It’s a way of life of how they treat themselves and others,” Armstrong said, also referring to the Purple Resolve program.
Armstrong added the leadership with the 137th has done “a great job” training the unit in a real-world situation.
“Both entities, the MPs and the higher headquarter garrison have come to a compromise many times; there is no single right answer for most tasks,” Hernandez said. “Somewhat related, we have found it difficult to navigate logistical support and administrative support. In Nevada it’s much more simple. A detachment like us falls under a battalion headquarters with traditional support roles, but the command relationships here are more complex.”
Hernandez said the MPs are under the garrison’s tactical control, but the administrative and logistical support varies between multiple echelons based on specific requests.
State Command Sgt. Major Dennis Basilio, like Brown, said he saw many positives from his visit, but he focused more on soldier welfare.
“This is the first time to do this type of visit,” said Basilio, referring how the top soldiers in the state’s command chain met with an overseas deployed unit.
Unfortunately, Basilio said this type of visit with the top officers and command sergeant major takes coordination, but he added the impressions coming from the troops will be long felt.
Basilio said he and the others quickly saw the high morale within the MPs ranks, and how they interacted with the visiting soldiers and one another. He said talking to the solders gleaned much information and how they’re performing their mission, day in and day out.
“Sometimes a unit deploys and they’re not doing their MOS (military occupational specialties),” Basilio pointed out. “The MPs are doing their jobs, the morale is good. They’re able to do law enforcement.”
Basilio said in less than a month, the detachment will return to Nevada, but much legwork needs to be done before their plane touches down in Reno. The state command sergeant major said the Nevada Guard will promote the soldiers’ well-being along with their families by connecting them with the necessary resources throughout the re-deployment cycle.
During his visit to the MK Air Base, though, Basilio said he found the installation is in good hands with the military police patrolling the garrison, support from the Army Support Activity Black Sea and provides airfield security provided by the Romanian Air Force.
Armstrong agreed.
“I’m pleased how engaged our operations on the base have integrated with our Romanian partners,” Armstrong said. “The efforts to collaborate have led to good leadership in the ranks.”
Lt. Col. Curt Kolvet, commander of the of the 757th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, oversees the military police detachment. He, like others in the command, said he’s pleased with how the MPs are responding to their mission. He said the unit has adjusted and shown flexibility to meet new requirements.
“Basically, they met the requirements, but it wasn’t what they were originally missioned for,” Kolvet said. “I’m proud of the way they jumped in there.”
The University of Nevada, Reno graduate said the process that was put in place didn’t exist prior to the MPs arrival in Romania. He said the 137th had to take charge.
Kolvet, who spent part of his active-duty time with the Army in Germany, later commanded the 593rd Transportation Co., in Afghanistan in 2011-12. He said units tend to pass the torch to the next unit coming in no matter the complexity of the mission.
“There’s unlimited potential to excel at the next level,” he said.
Hernandez said he knows the importance of the mission and unit requirements.
“As National Guard soldiers, we have the advantage of knowing each other more closely than our active (duty) brothers,” Hernandez said. “We must put mission first. We have spent the last two years training for this mission.”
Kolvet had nothing but praise for Hernandez, and the way he has led his soldiers with the changes.
“Capt. Hernandez is a strong performer. He’s at the top of his peer group, and he’s doing a great job,” Kolvet said. “He has unlimited potential to excel at the next level.”