A cycle of tactical winter training will begin in Lithuanian Grand Duke Algirdas Mechanised Infantry Battalion. From 18 to 20 of January troops readying for mission in Afghanistan will undergo winter training in Gaižiūnai Military Area (Rukla Town, Jonava Distr.) to get acquainted with main requirements for implementing tasks during the 12th rotation of Ghowr PRT in Afghanistan as well as to ways of maintaining combat readiness of troops in winter conditions.
Algirdas Battalion organises training of such character for the first time. Participants of the exercise will have the opportunity to experience influence of winter conditions on operation and individual soldier by completing practical tasks.
Soldiers will conduct training in separate groups for two days each, including a night spent outside in winter.
The training will be divided into several stages beginning with theoretical part: introduction of the concept, purpose and tasks of the exercise; lectures will be given with emphasis on key points for soldiers' memorisation before practical exercise.
In separate groups soldiers will depart for separate training locations with skiing and trip equipment to gain skills of medial assistance and survival in winter. Later all trainees will continue to another location were individual place to spend night will be indicated for each of them. Soldiers will install their night camps according to indications heard that day. In the morning troops will conduct orientation trip on skis with assault equipment.
Upon arrival to the destination spot troops will transfer to another location by tug method (troops on skis hold on to a rope and are tugged by a vehicle) in division-sized (ten people) groups to learn skills in situation of ice breaking. After theoretical part troops will participate in practical exercise: climb out of an ice-hole in sub-zero air temperature. It will not be an obligatory task, however, training conductors expect to find volunteer.
The exercise is one of pre-mission training phases PRT-12 will have to undergo before deployment to Afghanistan. Members of the 12th rotation of Provincial Reconstruction Team will really need basic military skills as their period of duty coincides with winter season in Afghanistan.
The event due in Gaižiūnai Military Area on January 18-20 will be the first phase of training with the second coming on the first week of February.
For media: more information at Head of S5 Department of Algirdas Battalion Capt. Aivaras Pliatkus, phone 8 349 73308, cell phone 8 69819846.
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Lithuanian-led PRT headquartered in Chaghcharan, the capital city of Ghowr, took up responsibility for security in the province in June 2005. PRT is a joint military-civilian mission operating under International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). Its main task is to help Afghan Central Government extend its authority in the province, and to ensure security and environment suitable for provincial reconstruction.
Together with around 150 of Lithuanian military and civilian personnel representatives of Denmark, Georgia, Japan, the USA, Croatia, Romania, and Ukraine provide security in Ghowr. PRT-10 is formed on the basis of the 1st Territorial Unit of the NDVF Dainava Military District.
According to rotation schedule current PRT-10 will be replaced by PRT-11 formed on the basis of Lithuanian Grand Duke Kęstutis Battalion in May. The successive PRT-12 will rotate to Afghanistan in autumn of 2010, it will be formed the basis of Lithuanian Grand Duke Algirdas Mechanised Infantry Battalion.