From July 28 to August 3 a delegation of Sergeant Majors of the Pennsylvania National Guard (PNG) is conducting a visit in Lithuania on the basis of a bilateral US-Lithuanian cooperation plan. The aim of the visit is familiarising with the Lithuanian Armed Forces, its tasks, enlisted personnel corps, their training and career opportunities, logistic provision, etc. An intense debate on further opportunities of cooperation is expected to take place during the visit.
On the first day of the visit the delegation met with Sergeant Major of the Lithuanian Armed Forces Sgt Maj Arūnas Birbalas, and Maj Gen Almantas Leika, Commander of the Lithuanian Land Force and acting Chief of Defence.
The Lithuanian General underlined that the Lithuanian Armed Forces' NCO corps is growing stronger gradually while junior officers gather experience from their sergeants. Sergeants are qualified to render to their platoon commanders pieces of expedient and efficient advice during training events.
Maj Gen A. Leika said he was able to make sure of that at a tactical exercise of a Lithuanian company, part of Saber Strike 2013 in the Adazi Training Area, Latvia, this June. The training event involved volunteer military personnel of the Pennsylvania National Guard alongside Lithuanians from the Lithuanian Grand Duchess Birutė Battalion of the Lithuanian Land Force.
The Lithuanian Armed Forces have been collaborating with the PNG since 1993.
At the meeting at the Land Force HQ structure of the Lithuanian Armed Forces and the enlisted personnel corps were presented to the guests.
In his turn, Command Sergeant Major of the Lithuanian National Defence Volunteer Force Sgt Maj Darius Masiulis presented to the US guests the National Defence Volunteer Force (NDVF) which is formed following a similar principle as the PNG.
The US Sergeants Major also paid visits to the General Adolfas Ramanauskas Warfare Training Centre and observed an exercise of an Operator Training for the US-supported JCATS (Joint Conflict and Tactical Simulation) program, as well as to other military units deployed in Rukla Garrison: Mechanised Infantry Brigade Iron Wolf, Lithuanian Great Hetman Jonušas Radvila Training Regiment, and Juozas Lukša Land Force Training Centre.
During the visit which will end on Friday PNG Sergeants Major will also visit the Lithuanian Armed Forces School in Kaunas where they will take interest in sergeant-level training, Depot Service of the Logistics Command, Air Base of the Lithuanian Air Force in Šiauliai, Joint Staff and the Lithuanian Special Operations Forces.
PV Vilius Džiavečka, Public Relations and Information, NDVF HQ
