On July 24 a formal change of command ceremony of the Chiefs of Defence of Lithuania will be held at the Cathedral Square of Vilnius. The outgoing Chief of Defence Lieutenant General Arvydas Pocius will be formally replaced by Major General Jonas Vytautas Žukas.
In the tradition, the regalia of the Chief of Defence of Lithuania consist of a sceptre, colours of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, and the badge of the Chief of Defence of Lithuania. The Chief of Defence will return the sceptre and the colours upon the completion of his tenure while the badge signed with "04" will remain for LTG A.Pocius. The Badge No. 1 of the Chief of Defence of Lithuania is held by Major General (Reserve) Jonas Andriškevičius, No. 2 - by Major General (Reserve) Jonas Algirdas Kronkaitis, and No. 3 - by Lieutenant General (Reserve) Valdas Tutkus.
Upon the completion of his tenure and service with the Lithuanian Armed Forces LTG A.Pocius will farewell the military by saluting the parade at the ceremony. LTG A. Pocius has been leading the Lithuanian Armed Forces since 2009.
According to the Statute of Parading and Military Ceremonies the President of the Republic of Lithuania and Commander-in-Chief of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, Dalia Grybauskaitė will administer an oath of allegiance to MG J. V. Žukas and pass on the regalia of the Chief of Defence - a Badge of the Chief of Defence, the sceptre and the colours of the Lithuanian Armed Forces.
Platoons representing all services and units of the Lithuanian Armed Forces will parade with their guidons at the Cathedral Square to pay honour to the incoming Chief of Defence MG J. V. Žukas.
The ceremony will be conducted in the presence of representatives of the Parliament and the Government, Minister of National Defence Juozas Olekas, leadership of the Ministry of National Defence and the Lithuanian Armed Forces, foreign diplomatic, state institutions' and public organisations' representatives, and other guests.
The Chief of Defence of Lithuania is commissioned for five-year tenure by the President with approval of the Seimas from the nominees tabled by the Minister of National Defence.
Formal ceremonies of returning and bestowing the regalia of the Chief of Defence of Lithuania are traditional and conducted in line with the Statute of Parading and Military Ceremonies. The Chief of Defence's regalia were returned to the President at such ceremonies by LTG V. Tutkus in 2009, MG J. A. Kronkaitis in 2004, MG J. Andriškevičius in 1999.
Spokesperson to the Chief of Defence of Lithuania Captain Tomas Pakalniškis, 00370 682 25359
Photo credit: Alfredas Pliadis
