Video report (by Sgt Spc Lukas Tamošiūnas)
On July 1 soldiers of Brig Gen M. Pečiulionis Artillery Battalion of the Motorised Infantry Brigade Griffin moved to a permanent homebase in Pajūris town (Šilalė region). Combat flag was presented to the Battalion at a ceremony in the main square of the town.
“The birth of a new military town is a clear statement that the Armed Forces is renewing and growing stronger. Therefore today we a celebrating an important step in the armed forces development and a sustainable growth of the armed forces that are sending out a clear signal that we stand ready to defence ourselves at all times,” Minister of National Defence Raimundas Karoblis said greeting the troops.
The military unit in Pajūris was built from the ground: its infrastructure is based on a modern and convenient modular solution that ensures a comprehensive operation of the unit. It is an advanced way to settle quickly and on relatively small costs and later the modules will be usable for other needs of the Armed Forces. This is the first time a military unit has been developed according to the greenfield principle.
Roughly 250 soldiers of the Battalion deployed to a compound made up of 300 modular structures including the barracks, headquarters, administrative, catering, medical, and welfare areas, equipment parking area, etc. Soldiers of the Artillery Battalion moved to Pajūris from their previous base at the Air Defence Battalion in Radviliškis in the end of June.
Installation of the military facility in Pajūris town cost approx. EUR 3.9 million. The sum includes site clearance (demolition), design and constructions of outdoors engineering infrastructure and buildings, acquisition and maintenance of containers. Design and contrition works for the compound fence with a check-post began this year as well and are planned to be finished by the end of September.
The ceremony was also attended by Chief of Defence of Lithuania Lt Gen Jonas Vytautas Žukas, Commander of the Land Force Maj Gen Valdemaras Rupšys, Metropolitan Archbishop of Vilnius Gintaras Grušas, and other guests.
Operation of the Battalion will also provide occupation opportunities for residents of Pajūris town. Part of the jobs at the Battalion will be made available to them — the Battalion will need kitchen workers, medical, maintenance personnel, and different services.
Development of the military unit will continue — Brig Gen M. Pečiulionis Artillery Battalion will be using the modular infrastructure only temporarily. A permanent military infrastructure is planned to be developed in the compound over the several coming years. That will be done on the principle of Public Private Partnership, the Ministry of Defence has already opened a bidding selection of a private sector partner for the project.
Formation of Brig Gen M. Pečiulionis Artillery Battalion began in 2017. The Battalion is one of the most recent units of the Motorised Infantry Brigade Griffin established in 2016 as part of the effort to strengthen the defensive capabilities of the Lithuania Armed Forces. The Brigade currently comprises its headquarters based in Klaipėda, headquarters, signals, reconnaissance and anti-tank companies, and three other battalions — Lithuanian Grand Duke Butigeidis Dragoon Battalion in Klaipėda, Lithuanian Grand Duke Kęstutis Mechanised Infantry Battalion in Tauragė region, and the Lithuanian Duke Margiris Infantry Battalion in Šiauliai.
Photo credit: Laura Jokšaitė (LITHAF)
