On October 31 Chief of Defence of Lithuania Maj Gen Valdemaras Rupšys paid a visit to the rotational United States force deployed at the General Silvestras Žukauskas Training Area in Pabradė. He was interested in the service conditions and Host Nation Support rendered by Lithuania that the guests were receiving and in American troops' needs and combat training plans.
"In my view, the soldiers have made themselves at home for the coming six months of training with the NATO Battalion and Lithuanian colleagues. Their presence is yet another proof that the U.S. remains to be our staunch and reliable ally unquestionably committed to our entire region. We are deeply grateful to America, Germany and other NATO allies who actively contribute to strengthening the security of our country in NATO's eastern flank," Maj Gen Valdemaras Rupšys said after the visit.
The U.S. unit training in Lithuania is the 1st Armoured Battalion of the 9th Regiment, 1st Division, U.S. Army, based at Fort Hood in Texas. The unit which will be approx. 500-strong when fully deployed have brought heavy equipment - approx. 30 Abrams tanks, over 20 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles, other vehicles. The U.S. battalion has come as part of the U.S. Army Operation Atlantic Resolve in the eastern part of the Alliance and will train in Lithuania until spring 2020.
The U.S. troops will cooperate and exercise with Lithuanian colleagues and other allies, exchange experience while implementing mechanisation of the Lithuanian Land Force. Lithuania will ensure to the U.S. troops full Host Nation Support (lodging, logistical support, etc.) and access to infrastructure of Lithuania's military training areas.
U.S. land force soldiers have been rotating to the Baltic States and Eastern Europe since spring 2014 as part of the U.S. Army Operation Atlantic Resolve in the eastern part of the Alliance. It is a demonstration of the U.S. collective defence commitment to NATO allies in ensuring security after the Russian aggression in Ukraine.
Over a ten rotations of U.S. land troops have already been deployed to Lithuania since spring 2014, the most recent rotation was here in 2017.
The United States is Lithuania's strategic partner and key ally to the security of the Baltic region that actively contributes to the implementation of assurance measures in the Baltic States in order to strengthen security and stability.
Spokesperson for the Chief of Defence of Lithuania Maj Tomas Balkus
+370 5 278 5091, +370 682 25359, tomas.balkus@mil.lt
Photo credits: Sgt Spc Ieva Budzeikaitė
