On October 1 – 6 Exercise Strong Shield 3 runs in Western Lithuania, area of responsibility of the 3rd Territorial Unit of the Žemaičiai Military District, National Defence Volunteer Force (NDVF), training planning and execution of defensive operations.
The exercise will take place round the clock in Tauragė, Šilalės, Šilutė, Plungė, Kretinga, Rietavas, and Klaipėda regions where military personnel will move on foot or by wheeled tactical vehicles, use dummy ammunition and explosives, purpose-specific gear, smoke grenades. Most of the training activities will take place in civilian territories which has been agreed with municipal officers and owners of the territories in advance.
“Certification Exercise Strong Shield 3 is the final phase of a three-year readiness cycle and a chance to verify the readiness of the 3rd Territorial Unit of the Žemaičiai Military District, National Defence Volunteer Force (NDVF), for national defence and living up to the unit motto “Deserve Freedom by Defending It!”, said Commander of the 3rd Territorial Unit of the Žemaičiai Military District, National Defence Volunteer Force, Lt Col Ramūnas Jankauskas.
Exercise Strong Shield 3 certifies operational planning and execution skills of the 3rd Territorial Unit of the Žemaičiai Military District, National Defence Volunteer Force in real terrain and time, as well as coordination and interoperability with other units of the Lithuanian Armed Forces and NATO Allies. The NDVF troops will be joined in the training by Lithuanian Land Force units, Lithuanian Riflemen’s Unit, and NATO Allies from the United Kingdom, Latvia and Denmark, totaling to approx. 1000 exercise participants.
The NDVF ensures trained military personnel for armed defence of land territory of the Republic of Lithuania on voluntary basis. It is an over 5000-strong service manned by reservists on non-continuous military service on the basis of a volunteer military personnel contract. They are summoned for combat readiness training for approx. 30 days a year, most usually during the weekends, which allows them to combine military service and civilian activities, such as studies or full-time jobs.
Info and photo credits: NDVF
