On July 23-25 military personnel of the Mechanised Infantry Brigade (MIB) Iron Wolf and the 173rd Airborne Brigade's 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment shared experience and honed their shooting skills at a joint live fire training event using 60 mm Brownings (M2HB) and 120 mm mortars at the General Silvestras Žukauskas Training Range in Pabradė.
According to the participants of the training, the event has given an opportunity to familiarise with the weaponry used by allies and to share experience of live firing.
The joint training event with the U.S allies involved participants from subunits of the MIB Iron Wolf: the Lithuanian grand Duke Algirdas, Grand Duke Kętutis, and Duke Vaidotas mechanised battalions.
Military personnel of the173rd Airborne Brigade of U.S. Army in Europe have been deployed in Lithuania since late April when the United States sent its troops to Lithuania to as a demonstration of its NATO commitments and to the end of enhancing interoperability within the Alliance. U.S. forces of similar qualification and size are also deployed in Poland, Latvia and Estonia.
The U.S. soldiers have joined land force training throughout Lithuania from the first days of deployment. The U.S. military have already taken part in Exercise Black Arrow, joint U.S.-Baltic Exercise Saber Strike, and other exercises of various scales.
In the last week of July the U.S. troops will be training with military of the Grand Duchess Birutė Uhlan Battalion at a tactical field exercise Defensive/Offensive.
Till the end of the year the U.S. soldiers will be joining an international Exercise Saber Junction, and various other artillery/mortar fire drills of the Lithuanian Land Force.
Lithuania is providing any host nation support necessary, lodging, feeding, logistic support, etc., for the deployed forces. The U.S. presence is planned to be sustained in Lithuania through at least the end of the year.
The U.S. troops deployed in Lithuania are stationed at the Duke Vaidotas Mechanised Infantry Battalion in Rukla.
Information and photo credits: MIB Iron Wolf
