January 29, a week-long exercise ended in Tauragė: members of the ninth rotation of Chaghcharan Provincial Reconstruction Team shared experience with counterparts readying for mission as 11th shift.
PRT-9 shared experience and „lessons learned" of maintaining good relations with locals by providing assistance, conducting patrols in the province, and completing other tasks.
In the training major attention will be paid to instructing troops on history, culture, customs, and nuances of communication with people of Afghanistan. Representatives of National Defence and Foreign Affairs Ministries presented to training PRT-11 soldiers activity of civilian element, principles of CIMIC cooperation, development cooperation activities in Ghowr undertaken by civilians in Ghowr. 3rd Secretary of Embassy of Japan in Lithuania Shinya Kiaura delivered an announcement on development cooperation projects coordinated by civilian representatives of Japan.
11th rotation of Ghowr PRT mainly manned by troops of Lithuanian Grand Duke Kęstutis Motorised Infantry Battalion (Tauragė Distr.) will replace PRT-10 currently in charge of the mission in May 2010. Commander of Kęstutis Battalion Lt. Col. Gintaras Smaliukas will lead Lithuanian shift and the entire PRT in the operation region.
Lithuanian-led PRT headquartered in Chaghcharan, the capital city of Ghowr, took up responsibility for security in the province in June 2005. PRT is a joint military-civilian mission operating under International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). Its main task is to help Afghan Central Government extend its authority in the province, and to ensure security and environment suitable for provincial reconstruction.
Together with around 150 of Lithuanian military and civilian personnel representatives of Denmark, Georgia, Japan, the USA, Croatia, Romania, and Ukraine provide security in Ghowr. PRT-10 is formed on the basis of the 1st Territorial Unit of the NDVF Dainava Military District.
PIO for PRT-11 Capt. Darius Toleikis. Picture - PRT-11 troops during pre-mission training in Gaižiūnai Military Area. Picture by Capt. Darius Toleikis.
