On February 3-7 certification exercise of the 11th rotation of the National Support Element (NSE-11) took place at the General Adolfas Ramanauskas Warfare Training Centre in Nemenčinė. That was the final step of pre-deployment training before the mission in Afghanistan.
The training audience were dispersed in two locations as so it will be in Afghanistan (in Kandahar and Kabul). The exercise setting for the NSE-11 personnel was drawn as close as possible to the mission in Afghanistan. At the exercise troops had to complete both, individual and collective introductory tasks within the shortest time possible. The week's schedule covered over 60 tasks - from organisation of car repair to bank transactions and report drawing, and crediting material assets, to transportation and accommodation of military personnel and receiving shipments.
"All the troops are ready to deploy to the multinational mission, they are professionals of their work and are thoroughly familiar with applicable legal acts and standard procedures", said chief evaluator of the exercise commander of the NSE-9 Major Dangiras Kacevičius. He underlined that commander of the NSE-11 Major Saulius Gurauskas had performed his tasks excellently and had led the Element perfectly through efficient distribution of task and operative solution of issues.
Major Virginijus Kleponis, chief planner of the exercise and Deputy Chief of Staff of the Logistics Command for Logistic operations thanked the National Support Element, the evaluators and other military for their contribution to the organisation of the exercise and underscored: "When military personnel of the NSE-11 are deployed to Afghanistan after such an exercise, they will surely experience less headache while trying to make one or another sort of transaction and solving problems because they have faced all the situations and have made all the solutions possible in Lithuania during the pre-deployment training."
The 11th rotation of the National Support Element which will deploy into the area of operation in March comprises 12 troops, the majority of the serve with the Logistics Command of the Lithuanian Armed Forces. NSE-11 Commander is Major Saulius Gurauskas, head of the Individual Training Division of the Logistics Command.
The key task of the National Support Element is to ensure logistic provision of the Lithuanian contingents deployed in Afghanistan. The main group of the NSE is based in International Kabul Airport. Individual NSE members serve in Kandahar Airport.
Pre-deployment training of NSE-11 began in September 2013. The initial exercise pulled together the personnel in full composition for the first time, the concept of combat training was presented and goals discussed. Individual preparation of the troops followed: they developed the required qualifications in a spectrum of courses arranged by civilian organisations and the Lithuanian Armed Forces.
With regard to the English language requirement troops have undergone NATO correspondence courses, familiarised with the security situation on the ground in Afghanistan, gained knowledge on the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), the Republic of Afghanistan and its population.
NSE-11 personnel learned basics of combat self-defence, refreshed individual skills, underwent live firing, convoy and escort exercises. They also familiarised with standard procedures applied to the activities of the National Support Element and legal acts necessary for the completion of tasks in Afghanistan. Personnel of the NSE-9 shared their experience from the deployment to Afghanistan with their colleagues on training.
The National Support Element was established in 2009 as an effort to ensure a more efficient logistic provision and control of the logistic provision rendered to Lithuanian military units serving in multinational operations.
Currently there are approximately 100 Lithuanian military deployed in Afghanistan.
