On October 23-25 Commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command General Joseph L. Votel is conducting his first visit in Lithuania. The visit marks the close cooperation between the U.S. and the Lithuanian Special Operations Forces in international operations and enhancement of security in the Baltic Region. The guest will familiarise with Lithuania's security situation, thank Lithuanian special forces soldiers for the long-standing support to the U.S. Special Operations Forces and and aim to continue strengthening the excellent military relations between Lithuania and the United States.
General Joseph L. Votel was met by President of the Republic of Lithuania HE Dalia Grybauskaitė, Ambassador of the United States in Lithuania HE Deborah A. McCarthy, Chair of the Committee on National Security and Defence of the Lithuanian Parliament Artūras Paulauskas, Chief of Defence of Lithuania Lieutenant General Jonas Vytautas Žukas, Head of the State Security Department of the Republic of Lithuania Darius Jauniškis, Commander and military personnel of the Lithuanian Special Operations Forces.
Gen. Votel presented the the United States Special Operations Command Medal for merits for strengthening the cooperation between the U.S. and the Lithuanian Special Operations Forces to Head of the State Security Department Darius Jauniškis, former Commander of the Lithuanian Special Operations Forces.
The cooperation was launched over 20 years ago. The higher-level cooperation in terms of quality concerning relationship and interaction between the Lithuanian and the U.S. Special Operations Forces began in 2002 when Lithuanian soldiers joined the U.S.-led counter-terrorism operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. For over a decade soldiers of the Lithuanian and the U.S. Special Operations Forces have been training in joint military exercises together and improving interaction through completion of the basic special operations forces missions - detection of especially significant and strategic targets, disruption or neutralisation of intents of enemy forces.
Photo credits: Alfredas Pliadis
