CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – At a community event Friday, F&M Bank and Jack B. Turner & Associates welcomed Major General Iulian Berdila, Chief of Romanian Land Forces, and Major General JP McGee, Commanding General of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and Fort Campbell.

A group of close to 50 community leaders and 101st soldiers came together at the F&M Bank Franklin Room in downtown Clarksville. General Berdila was in the U.S. for the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) conference in Washington, D.C., and to visit military installations.

Major General Iulian Berdila, Chief of Romanian Land Forces, speaking at F&M Bank on, Oct. 14, 2022. (Lee Erwin).
Major General JP McGee, Commander of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and Fort Campbell, speaking at F&M Bank on, Oct. 14, 2022. (Lee Erwin).
Charlie Koon and Romanian Major General Iulian Berdila, at F&M Bank on, Oct. 14, 2022. (Lee Erwin).
Guests at the visit of Major General Iulian Berdila, Chief of Romania Land Forces, and Major General JP McGee, Commander of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and Fort Campbell at F&M Bank on, Oct. 14, 2022. (Lee Erwin).
Sammy Stuard, Major General Iulian Berdila, Major General JP McGee, Charlie Koon, and Jack Turner, at F&M Bank on, Oct. 14, 2022. (Lee Erwin).
The visit of Major General Iulian Berdila, Chief of Romania Land Forces, and Major General JP McGee, Commander of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and Fort Campbell, at F&M Bank on, Oct. 14, 2022. (Lee Erwin).
Phil Harpel and Charlie Koon at F&M Bank on, Oct. 14, 2022. (Lee Erwin).
Kelli Pendleton and Michael Pendleton at F&M Bank on, Oct. 14, 2022. (Lee Erwin).
Guests at the visit of Major General Iulian Berdila, Chief of Romania Land Forces, and Major General JP McGee, Commander of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and Fort Campbell at F&M Bank on, Oct. 14, 2022. (Lee Erwin).
The visit of Major General Iulian Berdila, Chief of Romania Land Forces, and Major General JP McGee, Commander of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and Fort Campbell, at F&M Bank on, Oct. 14, 2022. (Lee Erwin).
Soldiers with the 101st at the visit of Major General Iulian Berdila, Chief of Romania Land Forces, and Major General JP McGee, Commander of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and Fort Campbell at F&M Bank on, Oct. 14, 2022. (Lee Erwin).
Former Montgomery County Mayor Jim Durrett and Sammy Stuard, CEO and President of F&M Bank, at the visit of Major General Iulian Berdila, Chief of Romania Land Forces, and Major General JP McGee, Commander of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and Fort Campbell, at F&M Bank on, Oct. 14, 2022. (Lee Erwin).
Guests at the visit of Major General Iulian Berdila, Chief of Romania Land Forces, and Major General JP McGee, Commander of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and Fort Campbell at F&M Bank on, Oct. 14, 2022. (Lee Erwin).
Guests at the visit of Major General Iulian Berdila, Chief of Romania Land Forces, and Major General JP McGee, Commander of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and Fort Campbell at F&M Bank on, Oct. 14, 2022. (Lee Erwin).
Guests listen to Major General Iulian Berdila, Chief of Romania Land Forces, and Major General JP McGee, Commander of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and Fort Campbell, speak at F&M Bank on, Oct. 14, 2022. (Lee Erwin).

Prior to the F&M Bank gathering, Berdila spoke to commanders at Fort Campbell. In his introduction of Berdila, General McGee said he wanted Berdila to see where their home is at Fort Campbell and for everyone to hear why the 101st is in Europe and what they are doing from the perspective of a European leader.

Berdila talked about his visits to Fort Campbell and Clarksville. “I was here because it is the duty of a leader from Romania to come visit friends and partners. The soldiers of the 101st Division that are now in Romania, I am happy to host that force which produces positive effects for all of us with the alliance,” Berdila said.

Berdila added that he felt he had the responsibility to come and speak to the community because it was his duty to explain why the soldiers of the 101st are doing good things in Southeastern Europe.

Several thousand soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) are currently serving in the European Command theater of operations as part of the U.S. commitment to NATO allies and to deter Russian aggression in the region in response to the invasion of Ukraine.