On May 26 aircraft carrying servicemembers of the 14th rotation of the Chaghcharan Provincial Reconstruction Team landed in Šiauliai. Commander of the Šiauliai Air Base Lt Col Virginijus Steponavičius and Chaplain of the Air Force Maj Virginijus Veilentas welcomed the troops home.
Major part of the 14th shift of the Lithuanian-led Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT-14) was formed by the 5th Territorial Unit of the Vytis Military District of the National Defence Volunteer Force. From mid-May they were preplaced in Ghor province by a new rotation of peacekeepers formed by the Lithuanian Grand Duchess Motorised Infantry Battalion.
PRT returned together the 3rd shift of Police Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team (POMLT-3) and Lithuanian military personnel that had been deployed across ISAF commands in Afghanistan.
Formal homecoming ceremony for PRT-14 will be held on May 29 in Panevėžys, Freedom Square. The ceremony will be attended by Minister of National Defence Rasa Juknevičienė, US Ambassador in Lithuania HE Anne E. Derse, Chief of Defence of Lithuania Lt Gen Arvydas Pocius, and other guests. (a separate notice will be released)
POC -Acting Commander of the NDVF 5th Territorial Unit of Vytis Military District Kęstutis Klungis, cell phone 00370 686 79 445.
Photo by Alvydas Tamošiūnas
