October 22, in the exercise held in Pabradė Military Area (Švenčionių Dist.) troops of the Lithuanian Armed Forces and Pennsylvania National Guard, and personnel of the Public Security Service under the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Lithuania prepared for the training mission in Ghor province, Afghanistan, were they will serve in a joint US-Lithuanian Police Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team (POTML).
The main aim of POMLT is to advice, teach, and by other means support readiness of Afghan National Police to complete the tasks under their mandate relevantly. POMLT will begin activity in Ghor in November, the unit will be led by Lithuanian representatives. The first shift of POMLT will be under command of MP officer Maj Vidmantas Žilikauskas.
In the exercise in Pabradė representatives of Lithuania and USA improved military tactics and interoperability skills.
The exercise in Pabradė was observed by the Chief of LAF Joint Staff Brig Gen Algis Vaičeliūnas, Commander of the 28th Infantry Division of the Pennsylvania National Guard Maj Gen Randall Marcei, Chief of Staff of the Pennsylvania National Guard Brig Gen Frank Sullivan, and other representatives.
„Having witnessed your level of readiness and great teamwork abilities, I am sure that you are ready to deploy to Ghor and carry out your tasks successfully ", after the exercise said to Lithuanian and US personnel Commander of the 28th Infantry Division of the Pennsylvania National Guard Maj Gen Randall Marcei after the exercise.
POMLT will be deployed officially on October 29 from the Ministry of National Defence.
Lithuania participates in establishing POMLT as an effort to intensify support to security forces of Afghanistan in its responsibility area, Ghor province, where the majority of local forces are police.
Along with the Lithuanian-led PRT, a part of NATO's ISAF, the EU Police Mission in Afghanistan (EUPOL) operates in the province in coordination with the PRT.
PR Officer of the Joint Staff Capt Marius Varna. Picture by Capt M. Varna.
