On January 10 a Pennsylvania Army National Guard delegation paid a visit to the Lithuanian Land Force HQ and met with Commander of the Lithuanian Land Force Col Tomas Masaitis Commander of the Lithuanian National Defence Volunteer Force Col Dainius Pašvenskas, personnel of the National Defence Volunteer Force and the Lithuanian Land Force HQ.
The meetings addressed topical matters of the Lithuanian Armed Forces and the U.S. Pennsylvania Army National Guard and prospects of further development of the cooperation.
The visit was concluded by presenting decorations to outgoing Chief Operating Officer, Joint Force Headquarters, Pennsylvania Army National Guard, Lt Col Gregg Clark and Lithuania-Pennsylvania State Partnership Officer Maj John Lancaster for significant contribution to planning and successful implementation of bilateral partnership projects, along with keepsakes from Lithuania.
The Pennsylvania Army National Guard and the Lithuanian Armed Forces' have been developing cooperation for 25 years already. Numerous joint events, training courses, workshops and meetings, commemorations, and military exercises have been held over that time. Pennsylvania Army National Guard soldiers took part in the international mission in Afghanistan together with Lithuanian troops in 2009-2012.
Pennsylvania Army National Guard soldiers are constantly training in military exercise sin the Baltic states and Lithuanian soldiers attend exercises, instructor training "Train-the-Trainer" programmes and other events in the State of Pennsylvania.
Photo credits: Pte 1st Class Michail Lysenko
