On July 15, during commemoration of the 606th anniversary of the Lithuanian Land Force, command of the service was transferred to Brigadier General Valdemaras Rupšys. Prior to the changeover ceremony he was promoted to brigadier general from the rank of colonel at the Presidential Palace in Vilnius. The new commander replaced Major General Almantas Leika after four years in the position.
Video report: https://youtu.be/vTa6keZYtLw
"The Lithuanian Land Force is the spine and the core of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, and the new commander will have a complex task ahead of him, that is, to put the new decisions on deterrence into practice, to complete integration of new elements in the existing land units, intense allied exercises, missions, and other equally important tasks," Minister of National Defence Juozas Olekas said at the ceremony.
Minister J.Olekas also underscored that "those where the immortal values of patriotism, courage, resolve and sacrifice that gave strength to Lithuanian warriors 606 years ago in the Battle of Tannenberg, national heroes in the fight for the freedom and independence of Lithuania and up to this day in the struggle against present security challenges".
Chief of Defence of Lithuania Lieutenant General Jonas Vytautas Žukas underlined that "challenges and reforms in the Land Force of the recent years required plenty of effort and sacrifice from both, soldiers and commanders. Under command of MG A.Leika, the Lithuanian Land Force provided rotations for the NATO Response Force and a European Union Battle Groups in 2013 and 2015, after eight years of successful operation closed the NATO ISAF Lithuanian-led Provincial Reconstruction Team in the province of Ghor in Afghanistan, took part in the NATO advisory and training mission in Afghanistan, Resolute Support, anti-piracy efforts off the coast of Somalia Atalanta and the Training Mission in Mali, the U.S.-led training mission in Ukraine, and carried out standby periods for the national Domestic Support Forces and Response Force."
LG J. V. Žukas thanked MG A. Leika for his proactiveness, professionalism and leading by personal example during his service as the Commander of the Lithuanian Land Force.
At the moment there are eight Generals in the Lithuanian Armed Forces: Lieutenant General Jonas Vytautas Žukas, Major General Almantas Leika, Major General Edvardas Mažeikis, Brigadier General Gintautas Zenkevičius, Brigadier General Valdemaras Rupšys, Rear Admiral Kęstutis Macijauskas, Brigadier General Vilmantas Tamošaitis, Brigadier General Algis Vaičeliūnas.
Credits:
Photo - Alfredas Pliadis (at the Presidential Palace) and Ieva Budzeikaitė (in Kaunas)
Video - Sgt Spc 1st Class Lukas Kalvaitis
