Wednesday, May 16, a welcome ceremony was held in Klaipėda University square for the rotational force from Portugal of roughly 150 soldiers. The line-up also included soldiers with the Lithuanian Grand Duke Butigeidis Dragoon Battalion and participants of trained reserve exercise.
The Portuguese soldiers were welcomed by head of Klaipėda City Council Administration Saulius Budinas, who wished them to get to know the city of Klaipėda and gain new experience when training with Lithuanian colleagues, and tanked NATO allies for the assistance in ensuring regional security.
Commander of the Motorised Infantry Brigade Griffon Col Artūras Radvilas wished the Portuguese rotation endurance and most importantly - to share experience over the exercise sin Lithuania.
The rotation will be under the command of Major António Carlos Esquetim Marques, Marine Corps of the Portuguese Armed Forces. He thanked for a thoughtful welcome, support, and wished resolve to his troops because four months of intense training in Lithuania were ahead of them.
Soldiers of Portugal will settle in the barracks of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Butigeidis Dragoon Battalion in Klaipėda and will train with its soldiers mainly. Over the rotation period the Portuguese soldiers will also take part in exercises with the Navy and the Special operations Forces of the Lithuanian Armed Forces.
The rotation has brought all-terrain vehicles, trucks and CRRCs. In its turn, Lithuania renders full Host Nation Support - lodging, catering, other logistical support.
Portugal's rotation is a part of the NATO Assurance Measures for NATO's Central and Eastern European allies designed to enhance security. Since spring 2014, rotations from Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, USA, Poland, Luxembourg, Hungary, and Germany have already trained in Lithuania.
Portugal is an active contributor to the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic states - the 47th air policing mission it is currently leading is the fourth time of its air personnel and assets on this duty. Portugal also takes part in the activities and implementation of the tasks of the NATO Force Integration Unit in Vilnius by posting staff officers.
Photo credits: Laura Skiezgilienė
