26th Infantry Battalion (Romania)

The 26th Infantry Battalion "Neagoe Basarab" (Romanian: Batalionul 26 Infanterie "Neagoe Basarab"), also known as the Red Scorpions (Romanian: Scorpionii Roșii), is an infantry battalion of the Romanian Land Forces based in Craiova. It is part of Romania's Multinational Brigade South-East. The battalion has participated in missions in Angola, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan. Its tasks there were building refugee camps and weapons depots or guarding airports, military bases and roads. The 26th Infantry Battalion got its nickname, "Red Scorpions", from allied troops of the United States in 1996 during its mission in Angola, as they encountered many scorpions there.[1][2]

26th Infantry Battalion "Neagoe Basarab"
Batalionul 26 Infanterie "Neagoe Basarab"
Insignia of the 26th Infantry Battalion "Neagoe Basarab"
Country	Romania
Branch	Romanian Land Forces
Part of	Multinational Brigade South-East
Garrison/HQ	Craiova
Nickname(s)	Red Scorpions (Scorpionii Roșii)
Engagements	Angola (as part of the UNAVEM III) Bosnia and Herzegovina (as part of the SFOR) Kosovo (as part of the KFOR) Iraq War War in Afghanistan
Commanders
Notable commanders	Lieutenant colonel Nicolae Ciucă

One of its commandants was Nicolae Ciucă, who later served as Chief of the Romanian General Staff, Minister of National Defence of Romania, Prime Minister of Romania and president of the National Liberal Party.[3] Ciucă led the 26th Infantry Battalion during Operation Ancient Babylon in Nasiriyah in May 2004 during the Iraq War. It is reported that this military engagement was the first where the Romanian Armed Forces were "active combatants" ever since the end of World War II.[4]