USAG Black Sea Strengthens Security Through Joint Active Threat Exercise

MIHAIL KOGĂLNICEANU AIR BASE, Romania – U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to the 214th Military Police Company, Alabama Army National Guard continue to demonstrate steadfast commitment to the safety and security of U.S. Army Garrison Black Sea. This week, they had the opportunity to execute a joint active threat training exercise with the Romanian, French, and German Armed Forces on Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base.

While forward-deployed in Romania, the 214th Military Police Company remains responsible for law enforcement, force protection, physical security, customs, and in-transit security operations.

Capt. Gavin Self-Poole, commander of the 214th Military Police Company, emphasized the importance of their role and daily coordination with partner nations.

“Executing these missions ensures a secure operating environment that enables mission success, maintains freedom of movement, and allows us to continually build interoperability with our NATO partners,” said Self-Poole.

The continuous coordination between the U.S. Army and Romanian, French, and German Armed Forces Military Police laid the framework for a collaborative training approach designed to strengthen collective readiness and refine shared response procedures.

As a result, leaders from each organization came together to develop a joint training plan and identified active threat preparedness as a critical component to maintaining safety across the installation.

“The purpose of our active threat training was to ensure our forces can respond together swiftly and effectively in high-pressure situations. Training side by side allows us to align our tactics and demonstrate our shared commitment to base security,” said Self-Poole.

More than 30 Military Police Officers from four different NATO countries participated in the training. Together, they overcame language barriers, established joint standard operating procedures, and learned how to respond to multiple different scenarios as a multinational team.

“Completing joint training with our NATO partners has increased our unit’s proficiency by improving our coordination, communication, and compatibility. These experiences directly enhance our readiness to work as a united force during any incident on MKAB,” said Self-Poole.

The 214th Military Police Company plans to continue their joint training efforts over the next month with multinational exercises focused on crisis management and security operations. Through this training, they remain focused on strengthening partnerships and demonstrating their preparedness to maintain collective security for U.S. Army Garrison Black Sea.