"We are absolutely satisfied with the cooperation with the Lithuanian Land Force as it is and with the foreseen improvements," said Colonel John Norris head of the delegation of the U.S. Army in Europe (USAREUR) and USAREUR operations unit of after the work visit he had been conducting on January 7-9 in Lithuania.
According to Col John Norris, cooperation between the Lithuanian Land Force and the USAREUR will definitely be carried on with after the end of the joint operation in Afghanistan, it will simply take another shape, such as sharing experience in military training, an Erasmus programme to be carried out among specialists, assistance to be rendered in instructor training, and joint combat exercises.
"This work meeting was particularly successful because we have come up with a number a new areas for cooperation in discussions with Major General Almantas Leika, his staff officers and commanders of services, in other words our cooperation has progressed to a higher level," U.S. Col John Norris said.
A long-term cooperation plan between the U.S. Army in Europe and the Lithuanian Land Force was signed, joint exercises of U.S. and Lithuanian military personnel in 2014 were discussed, and possibilities for Lithuanian military to use U.S.-owned firing ranges and simulation systems as well as further cooperation in military training were addressed on January 8-9 during the meeting at the Headquarters of the Lithuanian Land Force.
On January 9 the delegation visited Rukla where they met with Colonel Raimundas Vaikšnoras, Commander of the Mechanised Infantry Brigade (MIB) Iron Wolf, and representatives of the leadership of the MIB Iron Wolf HQ, subdivisions and the Juozas Lukša Training Centre of the Lithuanian Land Force. At the meeting relevant issues of combat training were addressed, possibilities of joining various international projects of military cooperation, training and exchange programmes and multinational exercises. Later on the guest delegation familiarised with the capacities of the General Adolfas Ramanauskas Warfare Training Centre in Nemenčinė and addressed possibilities of cooperation among warfare training centres of both countries.
Las visit by USAREUR representatives was conducted in Lithuania on June 4, 2013, then Maj Gen A.Leika met with Lieutenant General Donald M. Campbell, the contemporary Commander of the U.S. Army in Europe, and a delegation at the Lithuanian Land Force HQ in Vilnius.
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Mission of the Land Force of the Lithuanian Armed Forces is to ensure armed protection and defence of the Lithuania's land territory. The task of the service is to train and prepare units across the Lithuanian Armed Forces for armed defence of the land territory of the Republic of Lithuania and to participate in international training events in order to ensure territorial unity of the Republic of Lithuania and fulfilment of international commitments.
Captain Mindaugas Neimontas, PAO for the Lithuanian Land Force, cell phone no. 00370 640 45 380.
