On October 5–9, the Lithuanian Armed Forces Logistics Command hosted a delegation of candidate officers from the Bundeswehr Logistics School. The guests may be posted to serve in Lithuania once their nearly finished training is completed.
The delegation visited the Military Academy of Lithuania, the Lithuanian Armed Forces School, and the Lithuanian Air Force Base. The candidate officers were familiarized with the Lithuanian military personnel training system, education opportunities, and the responsibilities of different military capabilities. Training of logistical personnel and sharing experience applicable to both militaries were the topics particularly emphasized during the visit.
“This visit is an excellent opportunity to our young officers to become familiar with Lithuania and its significant logistical sites more closely. It is also helpful in building a common understanding about our countries’ logistical systems and military training. It is useful to be able to experience the locality, meet the residents, and get to know the atmosphere of the country first-hand. We got to see how open and hospitable the Lithuanian people and the Lithuanian Armed Forces are. Our cooperation is absolutely valuable, particularly for those officers who will man the 45th German Brigade or deploy to training exercises in Lithuania,” said the head of the Bundeswehr Logistics School’s delegation, Lt Col Max Rimpel, as the visit was finishing.
One of the key highlights of the visit was touring the infrastructure built for the 45th German Brigade in Rukla and the military campus developed in Rokantiškės. The delegation learned more about the progress of the infrastructure development, the practical solutions and challenges arising in the course of stationing the German Brigade in Lithuania. The candidate officers gained a valuable close-up view of the environment and a better understanding of the scope of joint activities of the Lithuanian and German militaries.
The visit was organized to establish closer relations between the Training Centre that the Lithuanian Armed Forces Logistics Command is forming and the Bundeswehr’s Logistics School. The collaboration is expected to help systemically share the experience from the training courses, teaching methodology, and best practices, as well as to maintain unified or harmonized course arrangement principles.
The Head of the Training Centre of the Lithuanian Armed Forces’ Logistics Command, Maj Tadas Mameniškis, commented on the visit saying: “Even though it has been only weeks since the Training Centre of the Lithuanian Armed Forces’ Logistics Command was established, personnel training requirements cannot be postponed. Cooperation with the education bodies of the Bundeswehr is vital not just to improve the readiness of Lithuanian military units, but also for maximizing the efficiency of training the personnel for the German units deployed in Lithuania. Only if we join forces can we achieve timely and effective results.”
The tightened cooperation between the Lithuanian Armed Forces Logistics Command and the Logistics School of the Bundeswehr will not only boost the quality of logistics specialist training but also the interoperability between the Lithuanian Armed Forces and the Bundeswehr. Such visits are vital for the Lithuanian-German military cooperation as they facilitate not just experience and competence exchange but also the establishment of closer professional ties among the military personnel who might be completing tasks side by side in Lithuania in the future.
Photo and info credits: Lithuanian Armed Forces
