Lithuania - Army Maj. Gen. Jessica L. Wright, the adjutant general of the Pennsylvania National Guard, conducted a work visit and met with the leadership of the Lithuanian Armed Forces and its units on Sept. 2-3.
Wright met with the Chief of Defence of Lithuania Maj. Gen. Arvydas Pocius, Chief of Defence Staff Brig. Gen. Algis Vaiceliunas, Commander of the Lithuanian Air Force Brig. Gen. Arturas Leita, Commander of the Lithuanian Land Force Maj. Gen. Jonas Vytautas Zukas, Commander of the Lithuanian National Defence Volunteer Force Lt. Col. Romualdas Moldaris and Commander of the Lithuanian Riflemen's Union Col. Antanas Plieskis.
While staying in Lithuania, Wright also met with the Minister of National Defence Rasa Jukneviciene, took part in the ceremony of rotation of air contingents on the Baltic Air-policing mission at LAF Airbase in Siauliai, and visited Gen Jonas Zemaitis Lithuanian Military Academy, where she delivered a lecture to cadets.
One of the main goals of the adjutant general's visit in Lithuania is discussing the point of establishing the Police Operational and Mentoring Team (POMLT) in Ghor province, Afghanistan.
In the meeting with the leadership of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, Wright was briefed on the missions and operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and Bosnia and Herzegovina in which Lithuania had troops, and possible areas of cooperation with the Pennsylvania National Guard: in establishing Land Force Training Centre of the Lithuanian Armed Forces and developing reconnaissance and engineering capabilities of the Land Force.
Wright was especially interested in Ghor province of Afghanistan and the Lithuanian-led PRT that protected it and paid increasing attention to training Afghan National Security Forces. POMLT including both Lithuanian and U.S. troops will be established to meet that end. From the beginning of the following year, Lithuanian personnel will start training helicopter pilots for Afghan armed forces.
"Pennsylvania National Guard has never been a part of projects like POMLT before so we are highly interested in the planned activities of the unit and consider it as our continued cooperation," said Wright. "I agree that an entirely new project will present some challenges, however, the experience gained in the phases of planning and completion will help implementing projects of similar character in the future as well."
POMLT is planned to begin its activity in Ghor this autumn together with the new shift of PRT. At the moment POMLT personnel is undergoing training; Lithuanian part of the personnel is formed on the basis of Military Police and Land Force. The Lithuanian and U.S. personnel-based Police Operational and Mentoring Team will be commanded by a Lithuanian officer.
As Lithuania intensifies support to Afghan national security forces in its responsibility area, Ghor province, where the majority of such force is local police, Police Operational and Mentoring Team will be established to provide training for local officers. Involvement of the Pennsylvania National Guard into the Lithuanian-led project will extend a long and successful cooperation between Lithuania and USA in Ghor.
"USA is our strategic partner. We are very grateful for the Pennsylvania National Guard for a remarkably big contribution to the process of strengthening our national armed forces," said Chief of Defence of Lithuania Maj Gen A. Pocius in the meeting. "We wish to continue such cooperation in the future, especially regarding training issues, because we find our colleagues' great experience very important."
Pocius dwelled on crisis management and said representatives of the Pennsylvania National Guard are excellently prepared for emergency cases, and the Armed Forces could share their experience despite that the main responsibility for managing crises in Lithuania is in the mandate of the interior affairs system.
Lithuania and USA started cooperation as early as 1993. Lithuanian and the Pennsylvania National Guard's personnel have jointly participated in over 300 of military events held since then as part of the National Guard's State Partnership Program.
This October, U.S. and Lithuanian troops will participate together in the "Sabre Strike" exercise hosted by Latvia, and "Amber Hope" to be held in Lithuania next year.