Conference of a staff training event Joint Venture 2012 is held from May 21 to 25 at the Land Force Command Headquarters of the Lithuanian Armed Forces in Vilnius. The conference is intended to prepare for the staff training event Strong Lion 2012 of the personnel of the Mechanised Infantry Brigade Iron Wolf due in October. At the conference the Danish Advisory and Training Staff (DATS) share experience of division-level operational planning with the personnel of the Lithuanian Land Force Command Headquarters.
Activity of the conference focuses on drafting a commander's defence operations order of a fictional Baltic Division which will activate staff of the MIB Iron Wolf during staff training Strong Lion 2012 this autumn. Defence operations order comprises the main body and a series of functional areas, such as logistics, air defence, fire support, engineer support, information surveillance, CIMIC and other operations, and appendixes, therefore quality of such order requires considerable time.
As the conference was approaching its conclusion acting Lithuanian Land Force Commander Col Sergejus Draščiukas thanked DATS for benevolent cooperation and the knowledge transferred and presented remembrance gifts to DATS personnel. DATS Commander Col Werner Iverson near the end of his appointment as the DATS Commander was awarded with the Lithuanian Land Force's Medal for Distinguished Service on the initiative of MIB Iron Wolf for personal input and initiative.
"I have been leading DATS for the latter four years. I have made a really considerable number of visits in Lithuania as well as in the Baltic States during the period, we have been cooperating efficiently with brigades of the mentioned countries; however, this week I work at the Lithuanian Land Force Command Headquarters for the first time. Actually, we were surprised at the professionalism level, motivation and determination of the staff officers to obtain experience and knowledge, their abilities of expressing their opinion in a reasoned way. We had splendid discussions during the week which really broadened our horizons. I am satisfied with the results achieved and I believe that the work we commenced in Lithuania will be pushed ahead in a relevant way. We are there for you in case you needed our assistance or consultations in the future," said Col V. Iversen.
Headquarters of MIB Iron Wolf is trained with assistance of the Danish Division and DATS for the sixth year in a row. DATS organise a series of staff training annually both in Lithuania and Denmark. From this year Lithuanian Land Force Command is increasingly more involved into the training process of MIB Iron Wolf staff with prospect of full transfer of the responsibility from DATS before 2014. That will conclude the LITBRIG process.
LITBRIG is a bilateral military cooperation project launched on Denmark's initiative as early as 2006 with the pivotal aim of reaching full operational readiness of MIB Iron Wolf staff and the Brigade for the full range of NATO operations in line with NATO requirements, and ensuring systemic and expedient work and responsibility of all the Lithuanian units involved before the end of 2014.
Lithuanian Land Force Command is a military unit which assists the Land Force Commander in the decision making and implementation process directly related to training military units of the Lithuanian Land Force for territorial military protection and defence and capable of deploying on multinational operations; in ensuring efficient administration, combat training and readiness of Land Force components.
By Capt Mindaugas Neimontas, PR Officer of the Lithuanian Land Force Command, cell phone 00370 640 45 380.
Photo by Sgt 1st Class Eugenijus Žygaitis.
