On September 22 Minister of National Defence Raimundas Karoblis and Ambassador of the United States to Lithuania HE Robert S. Gilchrist will visit the Gen S.Žukauskas Training Area in Pabradė (Švenčionys region) to greet the new rotation of U.S. soldiers deployed to Lithuania. The officials will meet with the 2nd Brigade, 69th Regiment, 2nd Battalion Commander Lt Col George Bolton Jr., and view the equipment brought by the U.S forces. The U.S. soldiers are deployed with Abrams tanks, Bradley armoured fighting vehicles, all-terrain vehicles, etc., to Lithuania for several weeks of training. They arrived in early September.
“The United States is a strategic transatlantic partner to Lithuania, it is also one of the key allies to the security of Europe as a whole and to the Baltic region. The rotating U.S. forces in Lithuania is a critical factor of deterrence that contributes to NATO efforts in the Baltic region. We seek to ensure appropriate training conditions for the U.S. troops here,” Minister of National Defence Raimundas Karoblis says.
The U.S. forces deploy as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve of the U.S. Army in the eastern part of the Alliance. It is reassurance about the collective defence commitments to NATO allies concerning European security following the aggressive Russian actions in Ukraine. U.S. forces have been rotating into the Baltic States and Eastern Europe to train since spring 2014.
This rotation deployment has been pre-planned, not related to any recent developments in the region.
Lithuania seeks to ensure that allied forces are able to train effectively, to maintain readiness, and to serve as a deterrence in Lithuania, therefore national defence budget is used to expand military training areas and improve their infrastructure. Additional investments are made to improve military mobility, for instance, a new railhead of Pažeimenė railway line near the Pabradė Training Area was unveiled this spring to facilitate deployment of NATO allies’ equipment and weaponry to Lithuania.
The U.S. has also invested into military installations in Lithuanian training areas: several projects have been completed in Pabradė, Rukla, and Kazlų Rūda, such as marksman and sniper, light infantry and heavy machine-gun, and infantry fighting vehicle ranges, maintenance depot, and other training and maintenance infrastructure. The U.S. have also made investments into upgrading Lithuanian Air Force Base.
The United States of America is a strategic partner and key ally to the security of the Baltic region. The country actively engages in the implementation of assurance measures in the Baltic states, thus enhancing regional security and stability. The United States actively contributes military personnel, equipment, and finance to the defence of our region.
Media advisory:
Media representatives are invited to attend on September 22, there will be opportunities to:
• View the U.S. equipment
• Interview Minister R. Karoblis, U.S. Ambassador R. Gilchrist, the U.S. rotation Commander Lt Col George Bolton Jr.
Media representatives wishing to cover the event on September 22 are invited to register until 14.00 of September 21 at [email protected] (please give your name and surname, media outlet, contacts – cell phone no., e-mail address). POC registration and arrival detail SSgt Gintaras Masiulis, +370 643 77977
Freelance and contributor reporters and foreign media representatives will need accreditation given by the MoD Strategic Communication and Public Relations Department, please contact via e-mail at [email protected].
Only registered and accredited media as advised above will have access to the event.
Please arrive at the Gen S. Žukauskas training Area on September 22 until 10.00.
Photo credit: A.Pliadis
