On February 8 a homecoming ceremony was held for the third Vessel Boarding Team returning after the European Union Naval Force Mediterranean (EU NAVFOR Med) - Operation Sophia at the Lithuanian Navy Headquarters. The 12-strong team formed by the Lithuanian Navy, also by the Military Police, Military Medical Service, and the Special Operations Forces, deployed into the area of operation on September 10, 2018. The rotation had been based aboard the FGS Augsburg of the German Navy. The troops were welcomed home and decorated with medal for multinational deployments by Commander of the Lithuanian Navy RDML Arūnas Mockus.
Close cooperation in the operation between Lithuanian and German soldiers has contributed to the efforts of preventing illegal human trafficking and exterminating such a trade model. The Commander of the Navy praised professionalism and impeccable implementation of tasks of the re-deployed soldiers and thanked them for a significant contribution to the fulfilment of NATO and EU commitments.
The Council of the European Union made the decision to launch Operation Sophia in May 2015 in order to disrupt the trade model of illegal human trafficking and migrant smuggling in the south-central part of the Mediterranean.
Photo and information credits: Lithuanian Navy
