On March 16-20 Commander of the Lithuanian Land Force Major General Almantas Leika conducted a formal visit to the United States of America. During the visit the Lithuanian Land Force Commander met with Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army General Raymond T. Odierno. The high-ranking officers addressed the conditions of training of the rotating U.S. forces in Lithuania and objectives of this training.
Major General Almantas Leika who graduated from the U.S. War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, in 2006, joined the U.S. Army War College International Fellows Hall of Fame at a formal ceremony.
During the trip the Lithuanian Land Force Commander also paid a visit to the Pennsylvania National Guard's (PANG) headquarters at Fort Indiantown Gap. Major General A.Leika met with the PANG leadership (Pennsylvania is the partner of Lithuania), toured the training centre and familiarised with equipment and weaponry used for training. The meeting officers also discussed perspectives of further military cooperation between their represented forces.
The Lithuanian Land Force and the Pennsylvania National Guard have been developing active cooperation since 1993. PANG specialists are delivering courses and seminars for Lithuanian military, sending instructors and observers to exercises held in Lithuania, while Lithuanian soldiers take part in exercises, instructor training programmes, and other events in Pennsylvania.
Information by the Lithuanian Land Force, photo credits: Sergeant Ted Nichols and Captain Pavelas Jelkinas
