September 2, Adjutant General of the Pennsylvania National Guard Maj Gen Jessica L. Wright visited Joint Staff of the Lithuanian Armed Forces in Vilnius and met with the Chief of Joint Staff Brig Gen Algis Vaičeliūnas and staff officers.
During the meting Maj Gen J. L. Wright was briefed on the operations and missions Lithuania currently takes part in in Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and on projects underway and planned for the future jointly with the Pennsylvania National Guard. The guest General was particularly interested in the province of Ghor of Afghanistan and the Lithuanian-led Chaghcharan PRT protecting the area. Police Operational and Mentoring Team (POMLT) formed from Lithuania and US troops will begin service in the Chaghcharan PRT.
Chief of Joint Staff Brig Gen A. Vaičeliūnas emphasized in the meeting that next year Lithuanian Armed Forces would carry on with present commitments in multinational missions, however, attention to supporting Afghan national security forces will be increased. To that end POMLT will be launched as soon as this year, and from the beginning of the following year Lithuanian troops will begin training helicopter pilots of Afghan forces.
„Pennsylvania National Guard has never been a part of projects like POMLT before so we are highly interested in the planned activities of the unit and consider it as our continued cooperation. I agree that an entirely new project will present some challenges, however, the experience gained in the phases of planning and completion will help implementing projects of similar character in the future as well," said Adjutant General of the Pennsylvania National Guard Maj Gen J. L. Wright about POMLT.
Maj Gen J. L.Wright proposed to form a joint Police Operational and Mentoring Team in Ghor to Lithuania during her visit in July 2009. In November joint collective planning of the US-Lithuanian project began.
POMLT will begin its activity in Ghor together with the new PRT rotation in autumn. At the moment POMLT project is in the stage of personnel training, Lithuanian part of the Team's personnel will come from the Military Police and Lithuanian Land Force. Lithuanian-US Police Operational and Mentoring Team will be commanded by a Lithuanian officer.
As Lithuania intensifies support to Afghan national security forces in its responsibility area, Ghor province, where the majority of such force is local police, Police Operational and Mentoring Team will be established to provide training for local officers. Involvement of the Pennsylvania National Guard into the Lithuanian-led project will extend a long and successful cooperation between Lithuania and USA in Ghor.
PR Officer of the Joint Staff Capt Marius Varna, 00370 5 219 6401, 00370 686 35407.
Picture of the Joint Staff - Chief of Joint Staff Brig Gen Algis Vaičeliūnas and Adjutant General of the Pennsylvania National Guard Maj Gen J. L. Wright.