On August 12 soldiers of the Grand Duchess Birutė Uhlan Battalion and Company D of the 173rd Airborne Brigade taking part in Exercise Uhlan Rage trained conductive offensive and defensive operations with air support from UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters at the General Silvestras Žukauskas Training Area.
"I am very happy we included air support into our joint exercise with allies. It is a great opportunity for our troops to train and improve their skills. Involvement of helicopters greatly enables me as company commander, elevates operational planning of the company to a higher level and gives a lot of priceless experience," Captain Arnoldas Žilys, commander of the IInd Company of Birutė Uhlan Battalion said.
According to the exercise scenario, join Lithuanian-U.S. forces were tasked to seize a complex of buildings controlled by opposing forces in the area of operation. The operation involved UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters taking troops to the theatre and airlifting the equipment for the offensive later.
The troops playing the opposing force prepared plan of the defensive, made ambushes, while TOW anti-tank systems teams integrated into the joint operation were hunting not only the airlifted equipment but also the helicopters unloading troops and vehicles.
Soldiers with the 173rd Airborne Brigade of the U.S. Army have been deployed to the Grand Duchess Birutė Uhlan Battalion in Alytus since June. They are planned to be training in Alytus till mid-August and then move to King Mindaugas Hussar Battalion in Panevėžys.
U.S. troops are taking part in collective and individual training exercise in Lithuania alongside Lithuanian counterparts.
Rotating U.S. contingents are deployed in the Baltic states and Poland since last spring as part of operation Atlantic Resolve in Eastern Europe.
The rotating contingents deployed as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve is one of the NATO measures launched in response to the changed security situation in the region and for strengthening security of the Baltic states and Poland after the Russian annexation of Crimea.
The hosted U.S. military personnel join all the major exercises in Lithuania and other Baltic states.
Lithuania provides full Host Nation Support, i.e. lodging, feeding, other logistic support, to U.S. soldiers.
Photo credits: Birutė Uhlan Battalion
