Video report (by Sergeant Specialist Lukas Kalvaitis)
Photogallery on Facebook
A celebratory formation was conducted in the Cathedral Square of Vilnius and a parade marched down Gediminas Avenue to Independence Square on November 23 to commemorate Lithuanian Armed Forces Day. The formal event crowned a series of commemorative events that had taken place across Lithuania in commemoration of Lithuanian Armed Forces Day.
The Honour Guard Company of the Lithuanian Armed Forces performed cannon salute in the honour of Lithuania the Homeland, the Lithuanian Armed Forces and NATO allies. Roughly 400 representatives from all the services of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, the Public Security Service, and the State Border Guard Service stood in the military formation and marched in the parade. Their lines were complemented by approximately 100 allied soldiers: from the current rotation from the 1st Cavalry Division of the U.S. Army, from the 5th Bocskai Istvan Infantry Brigade of the Hungarian Defence Force, and from the 1st Brigade, Danish Division, Danish Army.
Lithuania's military were congratulated by distinguished guests of the ceremony: President of the Republic of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė, Minister of National Defence Juozas Olekas, Chief of Defence of Lithuania Major General Jonas Vytautas Žukas, Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius, Speaker of the Parliament Loreta Graužinienė, Commander of U.S. Army Europe (USAREUR) Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, the Prime Minister, the Minister of Defence and the Chief of Defence of Hungary, ambassadors of foreign countries, and leadership of the Ministry of National Defence and the Lithuanian Armed Forces.
The current strength of the Lithuanian Armed Forces is roughly 15,000.
Photo credits: Alfredas Pliadis
