Black Sea Rotational Force Marines, allies discover the rich history, culture of Romania

Marines with Black Sea Rotational Force 17.1 were given the chance to reflect and witness the history of their host nation’s storied past with a visit to the Museum of History, Culture and Christian Spirituality of the Lower Danube in Galati, Romania, Feb. 25, 2017.
"I would like to thank his eminence and his staff for being so open and welcoming to the Marines and Sailors of BSRF 17.1,” said Lt. Col. David C. Emmel, commanding officer of the unit. “These experiences are very important to enhancing our understanding of the history and people of Romania; making our enduring relationship even stronger."
Eagerly, the visitors viewed various religious artifacts and relics special to the museum and former church; being able to fully immerse themselves in the meaning of each item they observed.
“The bibles stood out to me,” said Lance Cpl. Kameron Whitaker, a machine gunner with the unit. “Learning that it was the first bible translated into Romanian and just seeing the history behind it made it special to me.”
The event included a visit from the Archbishop of Lower Danube, Patriarch Casian Craciun of Romania, who spoke to the Marines about the importance of partnerships and bonds between nations.
"During our conversation [with the Archbishop] we highlighted the parallels between spiritual and military service,” said Emmel. “Each of our service entails a high degree of devotion as well as mental and physical strength."
Soldiers from partner nations Serbia, Ukraine and Bulgaria also attended the trip.
“Overall the cultures and religion that we learned about there was eye opening,” said Whitaker. “We all stepped out of our comfort zone to learn new things and definitely this would be something I would love to do again.”