On August 1 rotations and leadership of the NATO enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) Battalion Battle Group Lithuania will change over at a ceremony at the Lithuanian Great Hetman Jonušas Radvila Training Regiment in Rukla.
Representative of the German Army Lieutenant Colonel Peer Papenbroock will hand over the command to another German representative Lieutenant Colonel Rouven Habel after having been in charge of the NATO eFP Battalion Battle Group Lithuania since February. Lt Co Rouven Habel is the commander of the 391st Mechanised Infantry Battalion of the Bundeswehr.
The ceremony is expected to be attended by Vice Minister of National Defence Vytautas Umbrasas, Chief of the Defence Staff Brig Gen Gintautas Zenkevičius, Commander of the Lituhanian Land Force Brig Gen Raimundas Vaikšnoras, and representatives of armed forces of the allies contributing to the NATO eFP Battalion Battle Group.
The incoming German rotation in the NATO eFP Battalion Battle Group Lithuania is formed mainly by soldiers of the 391st Mechanized Infantry Battalion (Panzergrenadierbataillon 391) based in Bad Salzungen.
Current composition of the NATO eFP Battalion Battle Group Lithuania is made up of German, Belgian, Czech, Dutch, Norwegian forces and a civilian expert of Iceland.
The NATO eFP Battalion Battle Group Lithuania is a direct response to aggressive provocative actions of Russia in the vicinity of NATO borders which have led to deterioration of stability and security and predictability of the security situation, and changes in the security environment . The decision to deploy NATO eFP Battalion Battle Groups along the eastern NATO border was taken in July 2016 at the NATO Summit in Warsaw by request of the Baltic States and Poland.
Media advisory:
Media representatives willing to take part in the change of command ceremony should register until July 31, 13.00 hrs at skomantas.povilionis@mil.lt
Photo credits: Sgt Spc Ieva Budzeikaitė
