March 29-April 2, troops of eleventh rotation of the Lithuanian-led Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT-11) will take part in the final phase - field exercise - of pre-mission training before deployment to Afghanistan held in Kairiai Military Area (Klaipėda Distr.).
On March 29 US Ambassador in Lithuania Anne E. Derse will visit soldiers and observe the exercise.
Exercise at Kairiai Military Area will also be observed by representatives of the Ministry of National Defence of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) whose points of interest will focus on readiness of Lithuanian personnel to deploy to the NATO operation in Afghanistan and on their experience of ensuring security in the province supervised by the Lithuanian-led PRT. South Korea withdrew its troops from the ISAF mission in Afghanistan in 2007 after five years of participation since 2002. By endorsement of the country's Parliament South Korea will recommence sending troops to operation in Afghanistan as of 2010: the country will take up leading a Provincial Reconstruction Team in Parwan province of Afghanistan.
Tasks for the exercise will be planned by the Joint Staff of the Lithuanian Armed Forces and implemented together with civilian specialists of the Ministry of National Defence representing leadership of the Civilian Component of the PRT. Performance of the troops will be evaluated by representatives of the Joint Staff and Ministry of National Defence. A part of tasks planned beyond the military area will send troops on pre-mission preparation to inhabited localities in the regions of Klaipėda, Tauragė, Šilutė and Šilalė to draw the exercise as close as possible to real mission conditions. During the training period PRT-11 members stay in a camp is installed for the exercise in the same manner as the camp in Ghowr.
The majority of the 11th rotation of Chaghcharan PRT are servicemen of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Kęstutis Motorised Infantry Battalion (Tauragė Distr.). Kęstutis Battalion is the first division of the Lithuanian Armed Forces to deploy to Ghowr for a second time. A considerable part off soldiers getting ready for the mission in Afghanistan have experience from international operations in the Balkan region, Iraq, and Afghanistan. PRT-11 led by Commander of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Kęstutis Motorised Infantry Battalion Lt. Col. Gintaras Smaliukas is expected to take over the mission from the current PRT-10 in May.
Lithuanian-led Provincial Reconstruction Team of Ghowr is a joint military-civilian mission operating under the NATO's International Security Assistance Force. Lithuania took responsibility for the PRT of Ghowr province based in Chaghcharan in summer of 2005. The main objective of the PRT mission is to assist the Central Government of Afghanistan to extend its authority throughout the province, to ensure security and to help built environment favourable for provincial reconstruction.
PRT-10 currently providing security in Ghowr is based on the 1st Territorial Unit of Dainava Military District of the Lithuanian National Defence Volunteer Force. Along with around 150 civilians and military from Lithuania representatives of Denmark, Georgia, Japan, USA, Romania and Ukraine serve in the Lithuanian-led Chaghcharan Provincial Reconstruction Team.
PIO for PRT-11 Capt. Darius Toleikis.
Note for media
Media representatives wishing to attend the meeting of the US Ambassador and soldiers of the Lithuanian Armed Forces in Kairiai Military Area are to inform Capt. Marius Varna before Friday (March 26) 8 p.m., cell phone 00370 686 02 988.
Media representatives should arrive at the main gates of Kairiai Military Area on March 29 before 1.30 p.m. From there to the location of exercise they will go by military transport. PIC Capt. M. Varna (cell phone 00370 686 02 988).
