On December 18, Vice Minister of National Defence Vytautas Umbrasas and Chief of Defence of Lithuania Maj. Gen. Arvydas Pocius participated in the homecoming and decoration ceremony held in Rukla (Jonava Distr.) for the ninth rotation of the Lithuanian-led Ghowr PRT. The event was also attended by representatives of Jonava District municipality, families of soldiers and other guests.
Personnel of PRT-9 amounting to nearly 150 troops coming mainly from Gen. Romualdas Giedraitis Artillery Battalion ensured security in Ghowr from May to November.
First shift of the National Support Element (NSE) of the Lithuanian Armed Forces that have come back from Afghanistan in August will receive decorations together with military personnel of Chaghcharan PRT-9. 18 soldiers served in the first shift of the National Support Element from August to November of this year.
Lithuanian-led PRT took up responsibility for security in Ghowr in summer 2005. PRT is a joint military-civilian mission operating under International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). PRT camp is based in the provincial capital Chaghcharan. The main task of the unit is to help Afghan central Government extend authority in the province, and to ensure security and environment suitable for provincial reconstruction. Together with around 120 Lithuanian military and civilian personnel, representatives of Denmark, Croatia, Georgia, Ukraine, Japan, Romania and the USA provide security in Ghowr.
NSE was established in February of 2009 as a step of transformation processed in the Lithuanian Armed Forces as well as for ensuring more efficient logistic support and control of the support provided for units and individual members of the Lithuanian Armed Forces deployed to international missions. In the mission area NSE is in charge of procurements, storage, provision, record and write-off of supplies, management of financial resources of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, organisation of admission and further movement of military and civilian employees, and other functions.
At the moment the core of the National Support Element is deployed at the International Airport Kabul, other members are based at Kandahar Airport or the PRT camp in Chaghcharan.
Pictures by A.Pliadis
