On November 6-7 Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, Commanding General of U.S. Army Europe, paid arrived in Lithuania to meet with U.S. military personnel preparing for Iron Sword 2015, largest national exercise in Lithuania. General communicated with the soldiers and observed them exercise at Gaižiūnai Training Area.
Lt Gen B. Hodges also met with Commander of the Lithuanian Land Force Major General Almantas Leika, discussed cooperation, plans for joint training, took part in aerial surveys of terrains in Lithuania's territory that have significance in terms of national and regional defence.
The eight rotation of U.S. soldiers, roughly 220 soldiers assigned to the 69th Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, U.S. Army, is training in Rukla (Lithuania) at the moment. A new shift will replace them as of next year.
Rotational U.S. forces have been deployed in Lithuania, other Baltic states and Poland since April 2014 in response to the security situation changed by Russia's annexation of Crimea. Roughly 140 Hungarian troops also deployed to Lithuania to strengthen security in October.
Soldiers of Denmark, Germany, Hungary and Portugal have already trained joint actions in Lithuania as part of assurance measures since spring 2014. Currently there is a roughly 200-strong contingent of U.S. rotational forces deployed in Lithuania.
Article and photos by the Lithuanian Land Force
