n June 8-9 Lithuanian defence officials met with a delegation of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard (PANG) headed by Timothy Hilty, Assistant Adjutant General at Pennsylvania National Guard, discussed security situation in the region and relevant bilateral and multilateral cooperation issues.
"Lithuania and the Pennsylvania Army National Guard have been cooperating intensely for over two decades. It will be continued and enhanced in the future too," Chief of Defence of Lithuania Lieutenant General Jonas Vytautas Žukas said at the meeting.
The PANG delegation also discussed bilateral cooperation and exercises with Commander of the Lithuanian Land Force Major General Almantas Leika and Commander of the Lithuanian National Defence Volunteer Force Colonel Arturas Jasinskas.
The Lithuanian National Defence Force is an akin defence structure to the Pennsylvania Army National Guard in terms of organisation and mission.
The PANG delegation also included Director for US Cooperation Programmes Randy Lutz and PANG Command Sergeant Major Michael Gundrum.
Intense cooperation between the Lithuanian Armed Forces and the Pennsylvania Army National Guard began when Lithuanian independence was re-established. It started in the framework of the State Partnership Program between Lithuania and the state of Pennsylvania. Military to Military Programme followed in 1993. Head of the first group of U.S. liaison officers of the programme was PANG Colonel Robert Barziloski, an American Lithuania.
PANG military personnel take part in annual exercises in the Baltic States, Lithuanian soldiers take part in "Train-the-trainer" instructor training programmes and other events in Pennsylvania.
At the moment a detachment formed by the National Defence Volunteer Force (roughly 40 troops with NDVF 2nd Territorial Unit, Darius ir Girėnas Military District, and with the Lithuanian Grand Duke Algirdas Mechanised Infantry Battalion) are coming back to Lithuania after taking part in urban warfare exercise with their US colleagues in Pennsylvania on May 31 through June 7.
Also, 62 PANG soldiers deployed to take in Exercise Iron Wolf 2016 underway in Lithuania. The soldiers arrive aboard C17 strategic cargo aircraft bringing along four Stryker armoured vehicles.
In 2009-2012 Lithuanian and PANG troops served side by side in the operation in Afghanistan.
Credits: Alfredas Pliadis (MoD) and Mater Sergeant Lina Ambroževičiūtė
