Roughly 250 Lithuanian and U.S. military personnel were practicing offensive, defensive, security and stabilisation tasks at Exercise Joint Punch at a training area of the Lithuanian Armed Forces in Pabradė. Around 40 combat vehicles were used for the training.
At the exercise, the 3rd Company, Lithuanian Grand Duke Algirdas Mechanised Infantry Battalion, Mechanised Infantry Brigade Iron Wolf, and the U.S. Lightning Troop, 3rd Squadron, 2d Cavalry Regiment, U.S. Army in Europe, were supported by soldiers of Juozas Vitkus Engineer Battalion and received air support from Mi-8 of the Lithuanian Air Force against military personnel of Kęstutis Mechanised Infantry Battalion in the role of hostile forces.
According to 1st Lieutenant Evaldas Milkintis, acting 3rd Company Commander, the exercise had been thoroughly planned and exercise tasks were successfully implemented by the training personnel. According to the officer, the exercise had tested tactical skills and physical and psychological fitness of the training audience.
The exercise was observed by Major Mindaugas Petkevičius, commander of Algirdas Battalion, who evaluated the ability of Lithuanian and U.S. troops to perform joint tactical actions and their skills of operating in a forested area during the daytime and at night.
Exercise Joint Punch is another example of successful cooperation between Lithuanian and U.S. allies performing tactical tasks. Live fire exercise of the Algirdas Battalion' platoon and the U.S. troop which was running on March 2-6 testified that as well.
The exercise at Pabradė was observed by Commander of the Lithuanian Land Force Major General Almantas Leika, members of the Defence Committee of the Parliament of Denmark, ambassadors of foreign states and defence attachés based in Lithuania.
Members of the 3rd Squadron, 2d Cavalry Regiment, U.S. Army in Europe, were deployed in Rukla in early January. This is the fifth of the rotating U.S. contingents that have been taking turns in the Baltic States and Poland since spring 2014 as a reassurance to NATO allies of U.S. commitments to collective defence in the light of the aggressive Russia's actions in Ukraine.
The U.S. soldiers are deployed at the Duke Vaidotas Mechanised Infantry Battalion of the Mechanised Infantry Brigade in Rukla. Members of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment are taking part in combined training and exercises with military personnel of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Algirdas Mechanised Infantry Battalion.
The combat equipment brought by the U.S. allies, i.e. the STRYKER multipurpose armoured wheeled personnel carriers, the HMMWV armoured all-terrain vehicles, military trucks, etc., are also deployed for combined training in Rukla.
Lithuania is providing full Host Nation Support to the rotating U.S. forces, i.e. lodging, feeding, logistics, etc.
POC - Chief of PR Division, Algirdas Battalion, Captain Tomas Piličiauskas. Mobile phone no. 00370 698 19846 email: tomas.piliciauskas@mil.lt
Photo credit: T.Piličiauskas
