Area Support Group Black Sea

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Area Support Group Black Sea
Emblem of Area Support Group Black Sea
Active	2007 – 2010 (as Task Force East) 2010 – present
Country	United States, Romania, Bulgaria
Branch	United States Army
Part of	United States European Command, U.S. Army Europe, 21st Theater Sustainment Command
Garrison/HQ	Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base

Area Support Group Black Sea (ASG-BS) is a United States European Command initiative executed by U.S. Army Europe (USAREUR) designed to strengthen relationships between the United States and its Eastern European allies.^[1] Area Support Group Black Sea is part of 21st Theater Sustainment Command,^[2] and provides base operations support and services for military personnel, civilians, and contractors in the Black Sea region,^[3] enabling readiness of permanent, rotational, allied, and expeditionary forces in Romania and Bulgaria.^[4]

ASG-BS involves a bilateral, long-term investment in both Romania and Bulgaria that strives to have a positive impact in the local areas by providing jobs for the local populace through service and support contracts in support of the operations; providing construction and medical humanitarian civil assistance projects in the local areas; and having a positive impact on the local economy by the presence of U.S. and other host nation-invited NATO forces.

Black Sea Area Support Group was established in 2007 as Joint Task Force-East.^[5] This program was an innovative element of the Theater Security Cooperation program that focuses on enhancing partner capacity and fostering regional cooperation. TF-East provided the U.S. and its partners in Romania and Bulgaria with training facilities and a periodic integrated combined staff that facilitated combined training.

Operations in Romania and Bulgaria also provided the U.S. and its partners the opportunity to engage in and demonstrate the continuance of peaceful and friendly international relations through combined training using host nation installations to support and facilitate rotational training activities. The used facilities include the Romanian Air Force Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base (MKAB) located in the village of the same name and the Romanian Land Forces Babadag Training Area located approximately 70 km to the north. In Bulgaria, the primary facility is located in the Novo Selo Training Area (NSTA) located near Mokren, Bulgaria.^[6] These are sovereign host nation bases with co-located U.S. funded constructed facilities that the U.S. military uses on a consignment basis as stipulated in the Defense Cooperation Agreement signed by the governments involved. The U.S. military units training at the facilities are guests; they remain under a clear U.S. chain of command.