634th Infantry Battalion (Romania)

The 634th Infantry Battalion "Marshal Józef Piłsudski" (Romanian: Batalionul 634 Infanterie "Mareșal Jósef Piłsudski") is an infantry battalion of the Romanian Land Forces based in Piatra Neamț. It was formed on 2 April 1994 and is part of the 15th Mechanized Brigade. On 14 February 2020, it received the honorific name Marshal Józef Piłsudski, thus carrying over the traditions of the 16th Dorobanți Regiment "Józef Piłsudski".

634th Infantry Battalion "Marshal Józef Piłsudski"
Batalionul 634 Infanterie "Mareșal Jósef Piłsudski"
Insignia of the 634th Infantry Battalion "Mareșal Jósef Piłsudski"
Active2 April 1994–present
CountryRomania
BranchRomanian Land Forces
Part of15th Mechanized Brigade
Garrison/HQPiatra Neamț
PatronMarshal Józef Piłsudski
EngagementsIraq War
War in Afghanistan
DecorationsOrder of Military Virtue

History

The 634th Infantry Battalion was established on 2 April 1994 as the 567th Infantry Battalion. The battalion was formed from the disbanded 38th Mechanized Regiment "Neagoe Basarab" along with the 38th Training and Storage Center. In 1995, the 567th was transformed into the 634th Infantry Battalion at the same time receiving the name "Petrodava" and was subordinated to the 63rd Tank Brigade from Bacău. The subunits of the battalion were also equipped with MLIs. Since 2001, the battalion received the Dumbrava garrison depot, and the Dealul Vulpii shooting range from the General Staff of the Land Forces.[1]

After the 63rd Tank Brigade was disbanded in 2005, the battalion was moved to the 15th Mechanized Brigade. At the same time, the 38th Training Center was also disbanded.[1] Between 2003 and 2021, the 643th Battalion participated in international missions and exercises carried out in Iraq, Afghanistan, Moldova, Ukraine and Bulgaria. It was the last Romanian unit to leave Afghanistan on 26 June 2021 during the Allied withdrawal.[2][3]

The battle flag of the unit also received several awards: Emblem of Honor of the Land Forces; Emblem of Honor of the Defense Staff; and the Order of Military Virtue Knight class with war insignia.[4]

Due to the close cooperation in military exercises between the Romanian 15th Mechanized Brigade and the Polish 17th Mechanized Brigade, and the 1st Logistics Battalion of the Brigade receiving the heritage of the 57th Infantry Regiment "King Carol II of Romania",[5][6] the 634th Battalion received the honorific name "Marshal Józef Piłsudski" on 14 February 2020, thus carrying the traditions of the 16th Dorobanți Regiment "Józef Piłsudski".[1][7]

16th Dorobanți Regiment
Józef Piłsudski's visit to the 16th Regiment in 1932

The 16th Dorobanți Regiment (Regimentul 16 Dorobanți) was created on 1 January 1877, establishing its garrison at Fălticeni where it would be permanently stationed from 1891, with a barracks being built there in 1898. The regiment participated in the Romanian War of Independence, fighting at the Grivitsa redoubt during the Siege of Plevna.[8] The 16th Dorobanți Regiment "Baia" went on to participate in the Second Balkan War, and in the First World War, events that were described by Mihail Sadoveanu, who served as a soldier in the regiment, in his reports and in books such as 44 de zile in Bulgaria and Cocostârcul albastru.[9] In 1918, it also fought in the Battle of Spătărești and helped disarm the Russian forces.[10]

During the Second World War, the 16th Regiment fought in Bessarabia, Northern Bukovina, the Hertsa region and northwestern Transylvania,[8] also taking part in the Siege of Odessa.[11] After the war, the 16th Dorobanți Regiment merged with the 15th Dorobanți Regiment.[1]

On 20 April 1932, Józef Piłsudski was named honorific commander of the unit during his visit. The 16th Dorobanți Regiment received the name "Józef Piłsudski", with the "JP" initials being added to the epaulettes of the soldiers.[12]

  • Soldiers from the 634th Infantry Battalion with a TAB-71, 2011
    Soldiers from the 634th Infantry Battalion with a TAB-71, 2011
  • Mortar team of the battalion in 2011
    Mortar team of the battalion in 2011

References
  1. "Batalionul 634 Infanterie "Mareșal Józef Pilsudski"" (in Romanian). Archived from the original on 27 January 2022.
  2. "Batalionul 634 Infanterie din Piatra Neamţ participă astăzi la ceremonia militară de încheiere a misiunii în Afganistan". ziarpiatraneamt.ro (in Romanian). 21 July 2021.
  3. Gibbons-Neff, Thomas; Schmitt, Eric (June 29, 2021). "Security in Afghanistan Is Decaying, U.S. General Says as Forces Leave". The New York Times.
  4. Vasile Vânău (2 April 2022). "Batalionul 634 Infanterie din Piatra Neamț". Facebook (in Romanian). Brigada 15 Mecanizată "Podu Înalt" - www.bg15mc.ro. Archived from the original on 2023-09-25.
  5. "Batalion Logistyczny im. płk Arnolda Szyllinga". jednostki-wojskowe.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  6. "Batalionul "Regele Carol al II-lea al României" din Armata Poloniei". romaniaregala.ro (in Romanian). 30 April 2017.
  7. "De ce Batalionul 634 Infanterie din Piatra-Neamț se numește "Mareşal Józef Piłsudski"?". ziarpiatraneamt.ro (in Romanian). 6 December 2021.
  8. "Repere Istorice | Regimentul 16 Dorobanți". jandarmeriafalticeni.ro (in Romanian). Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  9. Lenuța Rusu (4 November 2019). "Sadoveanu și Regimentul 16 Dorobanți din Fălticeni" (in Romanian).
  10. Lenuța Rusu (1 February 2021). "Regimentul 16 Dorobanţi din Fălticeni şi bătălia de la Spătăreşti" (in Romanian). Crai Nou.
  11. "Eroul Regimentului 16 Dorobanți în luptele de la Odessa: Locotenentul Ionel Tescariu din Fălticeni". falticenionline.ro (in Romanian). 6 November 2015.
  12. Dan Pintilie; Ionela Nițu (2013). "Refugiaţii polonezi din judeţele Argeș și Muşcel în perioada 1939-1945". Acta Bacoviensia (in Romanian). No. VII. Onești: Editura Magic Print. p. 328.
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