Video report (by PV2 Aurimas Smaguris)
Sunday, June 15, camouflage "make-up" not only eliminates recognisability of facial features but long deliberations too. A short briefing by purring vehicles: company commander is drawing something with his finger at the corner of his map and everybody take up their positions. All the questions have been answered during thorough planning phase.
The first to roar and disappear in the dust are the M113 tracked armoured vehicles - the Combat Engineer Platoon of the Juozas Vitkus Engineer Battalion move to the forward enemy area. They have been given a simple but essential task to restrict the movement of enemy's infantry and vehicles by a range of engineering barriers. According to reconnaissance information, hostile forces are armed with wheeled and tracked combat vehicles, so engineers will have to sweat considerably to have the defensive barriers ready properly and on time ready, and to make their infantry's life easier when defending.
A conversation with the commander of an EOD squad from Latvia does not take any longer than five minutes- combat engineers need few words to understand each other. An hour barely passes and the colleagues from Latvia are finished with preparations for blasting. The ground shakes, a small cloud of smoke goes up and so does the thumb of the commander of the EOD squad - no OPFOR tracks will cross over this place.
Currently the second, or the active phase of Exercise Saber Stfrike 2014 has begun in Latvia. The participants will be training execution of defensive, offensive and counterattack operations. This phase will be running non-stop according to a fictional scenario till Friday.
The tactical field exercise at the Adaži Training Range in Latvia involves two multinational battalions. One of the battalions is led by Estonians, the other one - by Latvians. The Estonian-led battalion includes a company from Estonia, one from Latvia and one more - from Lithuania (from the Grand Duchess Birutė Uhlan Battalion), a Combat Engineer Platoon from the Juozas Vitkus Engineer Battalion and Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) from the General Romualdas Giedraitis Artillery Battalion. The companies are supported by platoons of the U.S. Army.
Photo credits: MSG Lina Ambroževičiūtė
