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U.S.in Balkan joint military exercise

SOFIA, Bulgaria, July 7 (UPI) -- Bulgaria's Parliament has ratified an agreement for holding a joint military exercise with American and Romanian soldiers.

"Immediate Response 2006" will begin later this month and is being staged in Bulgarian and Romanian training areas.

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Soldiers from U.S. European Command's 1st Armored Division will operate with soldiers from the Bulgarian army's 61 Stryamska Mechanized Brigade and Romanian military forces for maneuvers at Bulgaria's Novo Selo Training Area and Romania's Capu Midia military facility.

The Sofia news agency reported on July 6 that about 800 soldiers from the three countries will be participating in Immediate Response 2006. The exercise will include live weapon fire, training for urban operations, air assault drills and cross border convoy maneuvers.

Immediate Response 2006 exercise director, the 1st Armored Division Engineer Brigade commander Col. James Shumway, said "training in our NATO forces maneuver areas provides our military units the opportunity to develop team work and improve the expeditionary capability needed to fight and win on today's battlefield."

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