Cmdr. Robert Foster relieved Cmdr. Matthew Iwanczuk as U.S. Aegis Ashore Missile Defense System Romania (USAAMDSRO) commanding officer during a change of command ceremony held onboard Naval Support Facility (NSF) Deveselu, Romania, Dec. 4.
“For 75 years, partnerships with like-minded Allies and partners have created an environment where all nations could thrive and prosper,” said Iwanczuk. “The long watches, day in and day out, truly provide for the safety and security of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).”
Iwanczuk took command in September 2023 and oversaw the successful completion of a challenging selected restricted availability to bring critical combat systems updates to counter increasingly complex ballistic missile capabilities that would threaten the NATO Alliance. During this time, Iwanczuk’s team maintained a continuous readiness posture, providing a crucial defense capability for U.S. Allies in Europe.
Iwanczuk was commissioned through the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His sea tours include serving as ordnance officer and strike officer aboard the USS James E. Williams; operations officer aboard Patrol Costal Crew Echo; weapons and combat systems officer aboard the USS Barry; and executive officer aboard the USS Philippine Sea and USS Vella Gulf.
Iwanczuk’s next assignment is at U.S. Cyber Command in Fort Meade, Maryland.
"For the last 75 years, NATO has been a cornerstone of an international order based on rules where diplomacy, not force, is the means of resolving conflicts," said Foster. "Too many would use violence or the threat of violence to coerce others into accepting their demands. We exist so any such strike would be blunted, and in doing so make those considering such action doubt their ability to achieve their aims by violence."
Foster, a native of Tennessee, earned his commission from the United States Naval Academy in 2007. He served as executive officer aboard the USS Fort Lauderdale and most recently served on the staff of Commander, Naval Surface Force Atlantic.
USAAMDSRO is under the operational control of the U.S. 6th Fleet based in Naples, Italy and is part of the European Phased Adapted Approach (EPAA), which protects NATO Allies and U.S. deployed forces in the region. This land-based missile defense facility is designed to detect, track, engage, and destroy ballistic missiles in flight outside the atmosphere. Its technology is nearly identical to and works in coordination with the Aegis systems used on the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers deployed to the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations.
NSF Deveselu provides essential support to USAAMDSRO in core mission areas such as safety, security, and quality of life, and works jointly with the Romanian 99th Military Base to ensure the security and safety of the USAAMDSRO site.
U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied and interagency partners, in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa.