January 22, 11th shift of Lithuanian-led Provincial Reconstruction Team of Ghowr (PRT-11) completed three-week individual skills refresher course before deployment to Afghanistan.
Around one hundred of soldiers trained at Lithuanian Grand Duke Butigeidis Dragoon Training Battalion for over three weeks.
Participants of the training drilled incident control operations of various character, methods of suppressing public unrest, learnt secure handling of undetonated explosives, attended psychologists' lectures on coping with stress and learnt other theoretical knowledge.
During field phase PRT-1 staff brushed up topographical knowledge, skills of orienteering in an area with satellite navigation system, counter-offensive actions, live firing with G-36, AK-4, AK-47, and GLOCK-17, and other tasks.
PRT-11 formed mainly of Lithuanian Grand Duke Kęstutis Motorised Infantry Battalion (Tauragė Distr.) will take over the mission from the current PRT-10 in May 2010. The new shift will be led by Commander of Kęstutis Battalion Lt. Col. Gintaras Smaliukas.
A considerable part of PRT-11 staff have been deployed to multinational operations in Afghanistan, the Balkan region, and Iraq.
Lithuanian-led PRT headquartered in Chaghcharan, the capital city of Ghowr, took up responsibility for security in the province in June 2005. PRT is a joint military-civilian mission operating under International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). Its main task is to help Afghan Central Government extend its authority in the province, and to ensure security and environment suitable for provincial reconstruction.
Currently PRT-10 formed on the basis of the 1st Territorial Unit of the NDVF Dainava Military District ensure security in the province. Together with around 150 of Lithuanian military and civilian personnel representatives of Denmark, Georgia, Japan, the USA, Croatia, Romania, and Ukraine provide security in Ghowr.
Since 2005 Lithuanian Special Mission to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan also operates in Ghowr.
Article and pictures by PIO for PRT-11 Capt. Darius Toleikis.
