On October 11, Rukla, soldiers of the Lithuanian Armed Forces and the NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battalion Battle Group bid farewell to the soldier of the Federal Republic of Germany who had lost his life at Pabradė Training Area during the weekend.
The ceremony was attended by Ambassador of Germany to Lithuania HE A. Viets, Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff for Operations Brig Gen R. Vaikšnoras, commanders of Lithuanian Armed Forces units, and soldiers. A wreath of flowers was delivered from President of the Republic of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė to honour the soldier. The ceremony at the Lithuanian Great Hetman Jonušas Radvila Training Regiment began to the tunes of "Amazing Grace" played by the Lithuanian Land Force Band.
"It is a painful loss to both, Germany and Lithuania. We have all gathered here today to pay final respects to our brother-in-arms," Commander of the Mechanised Infantry Brigade Iron Wolf Col Mindaugas Steponavičius said.
"A sudden , dramatic and tragic accident has taken a soldier on duty from us we all loved dearly at lightning speed. He was on duty completing a task the risk of which could not be seen at first sight. He will forever stay in my hear. He was one of us - he was a fellow of your and the best friend of mine," Commander of the NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battalion Battle Group Lieutenant Colonel Rene Braun said at the ceremony.
Body of the lost soldier was taken from Rukla by a Fuchs armoured personnel carrier of Germany. Soldiers of the NATO eFP Battalion Battle Group lined up on both sides of the road to pay final respects to the perished comrade. The coffin was met by the Honour Guard Company at Kaunas International Airport and escorted it into C-160 of the German Air Force to depart for home.
The painful loss occurred on October 6. The armoured vehicle the fallen soldier was driving hit a tree during an exercise.
The multinational NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battalion Battle Group has been deployed in Rukla (Jonava distr.) for deterrence and defence purposes since early 2017 as a response to change geopolitical situation. Integrated into the Mechanised Infantry Brigade Iron Wolf, the unit is training with Lithuanian colleagues in peacetime and would defend Lithuania along with national and reinforcement allied capabilities in case of a crisis or conflict.
POC: Capt Vytenis Miliušas, +370 653 58686, vytenis.miliusas@mil.lt
Photo credits: Sgt Spc Ieva Budzeikaitė
