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Moldovan armed forces

Last modified: 2022-10-08 by rob raeside
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Army

[Army] image by Jorge Hurtado

The National Army (Armata Națională) had its General Staff organized by Decision No. 84 issued on 24 April 1992 by the Government of the Republic of Moldova.

The symbols of the National Army, prescribed by Ministry Order No. 144 issued on 30 August 2000, were registered on the Armorial General by Decision No. 388 issued on 30 September 2015 by the Heraldry National Commission and published on 14 April 2017 in the official gazette, No. 119-126, Article 782.

The flag is composed of a rectangular cloth (2:3), blue with a yellow cross filled with a narrower red cross [a red cross fimbriated in yellow].
The flag's obverse is charged in the center with the emblem of the National Army (a yellow eagle with half-spread wings holding a white cross in the beak, a white sword in the right claw and a white mace in the left claw, the chest superimposed with a shield horizontally divided red-blue charged with a yellow auroch's head surrounded between the horns by an eight-pointed star, dexter by a rose and sinister by a contourned crescent, all yellow. The whole superimposed to a yellow laurel and oak branches tied in base by a tricolor ribbon).
The flag's reverse is of the same design, the emblem of the National Army being substituted by the motto written in yellow letters "Pentru Onoare! Pentru Patrie! Pentru Tricolor!" (For Honor! For the Homeland) For the Tricolor!) surrounded by the same wreath as on the obverse.

The coat of arms of the National Army is prescribed as a red shield charged with the eagle (without wreaths).

https://www.legis.md/cautare/getResults?doc_id=99357&lang=ro
Decision No. 388, 30 September 2015

The design of the flag is reminiscent of the old Moldovan colors. The central red cross refers to St. George, the victory's carrier, who was the patron saint and protector of the medieval Moldovan armies.

The main element of the emblem is the cruciferous eagle. The eagle was one of their main emblems adopted by the Romans ancestors to by featured on the banners carried by legions. Gold is the same as during the Antiquity. The eagle holds a cross in the beak, recalling the spirituality individualized over the centuries from the Roman eagle.

The sword is a noble weapon, symbolizing the military state and expressing bravery - its main virtue - and power - its dual function. The sword's power can be destructive regarding evil, unfairness and aggression, but also constructive when, guarded by peace, justice and honor.
The mace - another military weapon used in hand-to-hand fight - gained with time, in addition to it military meaning, a meaning of dignity and sovereign power. The mace, the sword and the crown were the three heraldic attributes of the Moldovan sovereign, personifying his supreme sovereign, military and civil power.
The shield reproduces the shield of the arms of the Republic of Moldova, highlighting the straightforward link between the state and one of its most important instruments, the army.
The crown has its origin in the Roman military crowns.
The laurel wreath comes from the triumphal wreath (corona triumphalis) worn on the head by distinguished generals during triumphs. Laurel was, and still is, the symbol of immortality conquered by weapons and mind.
The oak wreath comes from the civic crown, which was awarded to the one who saves a citizen during a battle. The recipient had not only to save a citizen, but also to kill his opponent and preserve the threatened land. The oak is a symbol of moral and physical force, firmness, endurance, longevity, and spiritual and material highness. The Roman symbolic here superimposed to the local, Dacian and Celtic symbolic, highlights the mythical role of the oak. The forest, with the oak as the dominant tree and symbol of the forest, has been since the Antiquity a fortified shelter and a natural fortress against invaders. Accordingly, the oak emphasizes military resistance. The part of Moldavia located between rivers Prut and Dniestr was once a forest area. The tricolor ribbon that ties the two wreathes forms the national flag, individualizing the generally-known meaning of the laurel and oak.

https://www.army.md/?lng=3&action=show&cat=146&submenuheader=3
Official website

Photos
https://www.army.md/index.php?lng=3&action=show&cat=122&obj=3635
https://breakingnews.md/a-fost-marcata-ziua-pacificatorului-onu-la-ministerul-apararii/
http://www.canal2.md/news/militarii-armatei-nationale-care-vor-defila-la-bucuresti-cadrul-paradei-dedicate-zilei-nationale-romaniei-fac-ultimele-pregatiri_76730.html
https://www.defenseromania.ro/dodon-acuza-romania-ca-impinge-republica-moldova-spre-soarta-ucrainei_610741.html
https://evenimentul.md/armata-nationala-vine-in-sprijinul-autoritatilor-in-lupta-cu-covid-19/
https://infoprut.ro/46443-ccm-militarii-armatei-nationale-rep-moldova-vor-putea-detine-mai-multe-cetatenii.html
http://oficial.md/toate-stirile/fortele-terestre-ale-armatei-nationale-au-sarbatorit-opt-ani-de-activitate
https://protv.md/politic/igor-dodon-prezinta-corpului-de-comanda-al-armatei-nationale-pe-noul-ministru-al-apararii-pavel-voicu-galerie-foto---2495752.html
https://www.zdg.md/stiri/stiri-sociale/militarii-armatei-nationale-vor-defila-la-parada-militara-de-la-bucuresti/
https://10tv.md/militarii-armatei-nationale-republicii-moldova-vor-defila-la-bucuresti/2017/11/22/

Ivan Sache
, 31 May 2021


General Staff of the National Army

Obverse
[Army]  image located by Ivan Sache, 5 September 2022

[Army]  image located by Ivan Sache, 5 September 2022

The color of the General Staff of the National Army of Moldova is prescribed by Decree No. 417 signed on 8 April 2022 by the President of the Republic and published on 15 April 2022 in the official gazette of the Republic of Moldova, No. 106-114.

The color of the General Staff of the National Army is a rectangular (825 x 1650 mm) double-sided silk cloth.
The obverse of the flag repeats the composition of the obverse of the state flag of the Republic of Moldova: a vertical blue-yellow-red tricolor, charged in the center of the yellow stripe with the state coat of arms of the Republic of Moldova (1/5 L). Above the coat of arms, in a semicircle, the cry of arms "FOR OUR MOTHERLAND", and below, in a straight line, the legend "REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA", both inscriptions being embroidered, in capital letters (h 70 mm), with gold thread.
The reverse of the flag repeats the composition of the reverse of the state flag of the Republic of Moldova. Above the coat of arms, in a semicircle, the legend "GENERAL STAFF OF THE NATIONAL ARMY", the inscription being embroidered in capital letters (h 70 mm), with gold thread.
The cloth of the color has gold fringes (h 60 mm on its perimeter), except for the staff side, which is provided with a dressing sleeve on the bow. A gold tassel (h 130 mm) is attached to the corners of the hinge.
The staff of the color (ø 40 mm) has a length of 2,500 mm and is equipped with a standard tip for the poles of the flags of the state institutions of the Republic of Moldova.

https://www.legis.md/cautare/getResults?doc_id=130854&lang=ro
Official gazette of the Republic of Moldova

Images from the official gazette of the Republic of Moldova

The color was presented to the President of the Republic during the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the General Staff, held on 27 April 2022.

Photo
https://www.7media.md/sefa-statului-a-participat-la-ceremonia-aniversarii-a-30-a-de-la-fondarea-marelui-stat-major-al-armatei-nationale

Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WD_ZO3J3qiI

Ivan Sache, 5 September 2022


Roundel

[Customs ensign] image by Željko Heimer, based on description by Alexandru Stratulat

Cochrane & Elliott (1998) reported a white roundel with eight-pointed red star (two squares) bordered yellow and blue. It also mentions that "segmented roundel in red, yellow and blue" was reported but unconfirmed.
Željko Heimer, 20 June 2002

Upon independence, Moldova "inherited" quite a lot of military planes including Mig-29's. However in an article on war in the air entitled "War in Moldova, 1992" at http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_281.shtml it is noted that the maintenance of a large number of planes was too much the country and all combat planes were out of service (or sold to the highest bidder) in 1995. This was also the end for the use of this roundel. The Moldovan Air Force operates today only a small number of cargo planes which fly with civil registration and the national flag swept back as a fin flash. See http://www.fighter-jets.de/fighterjets/luftwaffen/mol.jpg and http://www.acig.org/artman/uploads/mo05.jpg for examples.
Dov Gutterman, 20 June 2004