FROM STAFF REPORTS

Army Sgt. Steven Chapman, son of Wayne Chapman of Alabaster, is a wheeled vehicle mechanic who is spending a few months in Romania, sharing military skills and interacting with Romanians.

Chapman is a part of what the United States military is calling a “proof of principal” exercise, which means the two countries are building military relations to help prepare for the prospect of future coalitions.

Chapman’s permanent duty station is located in Idar-Oberstein, Germany, with the 1st Battalion, 94th Field Artillery. But while here, Chapman is absorbing Romanian culture that will leave a lasting impression.

Chapman has served in the Army for six years, to include a year in Iraq, from 2003 to 2004.

Chapman now lives with allies who less than a generation ago would have been considered an adversary