On August 31 staff exercise "PRT-16 Challenge" of the 16th rotation of Chaghcharan Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT-16) (province of Ghor, Afghanistan) held at the General Adolfas Ramanauskas Warfare Training Centre in Nemenčinė ended. On the last day of the exercise PRT-16 military personnel attended ENERGEX, a joint energy security exercise of the Lithuanian Armed Forces and the Energy Security Centre under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
"Integrated training encompassing staff pre-deployment training and energy security exercise is a step forward because it incorporated previously discussed energy security challenges into the actual scenario of a military exercise. Energy security specialists, scientists, and military personnel trained to look for the best solutions during the exercise," said Chief of Defence Lt Gen A.Pocius who has been observing the exercise.
ENERGEX tested the readiness of the PRT-16 staff to ensure completion of operations under the circumstances of interrupted energy supply. It was the first exercise of its kind ever held in Lithuania.
Vice Minister of National Defence for Resources, Finance, and Procurement Mykolas Juozapavičius, Chief of Defence of Lithuania Lt Gen Arvydas Pocius, Director of the Energy Security Centre Audrius Brūzga, Commander of the Lithuanian Land Force Maj Gen Almantas Leika, and other representatives of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Energy Security centre observed the exercise.
"PRT-16 Challenge 2012" is an intense exercise training PRT-16 military personnel for the final evaluation exercise before the deployment to Afghanistan which will be held in the Kazlų Rūdos Training Area on October 1-12. After the final training event PRT-16 will deploy into the mission area in Afghanistan, province of Ghor. During "PRT-16 Challenge" troops used the Joint Conflict and Tactical Simulation (JCATS) system at the Warfare Training Centre to train to respond to a variety of tactical situations scripted on the basis of the experience of the previous rotations of Chaghcharan Provincial Reconstruction Team.
"The goal of the exercise has been achieved. I am convinced that the staff and unit commanders were given every opportunity to evaluate their readiness for the mission. We were building on the experience and advice from the former PRT shift to make solutions during the exercise. At the two-week training we have identified the areas still requiring enhancement before the deployment to Afghanistan," said PRT-16 Commander Maj Linas Kubilius.
PRT-16 is mainly formed by the 8th Territorial Unit of the Didžiosios Kovos Military District of the National Defence Volunteer Force. The rotation will be deployed to Afghanistan this November.
Photos by Alfredas Pliadžis and Sgt 1st Class Eugenijus Žygaitis.
