Other events in Baltic States

On June 23, farewell ceremony for the outgoing US Naval Attache in Lithuania Cdr Tomas Algirdas Alksninis was held at the Ministry of National Defence. Vice Minister of National Defence Vytautas Umbrasas bestowed the Medal of Merit of the National Defence System on Cdr T. A. Alksninis for personal contribution and merits to development of cooperation between the Lithuanian and US Armed Forces, informed BC Ministry of National Defence.

HE US Ambassador in Lithuania Anne Ellizabeth Derse, US Defence and Army Attache in Lithuania Lt Col David B. Millner, representatives of the Ministry of National Defence and Armed Forces participated in the ceremony. US Naval Attaché in Lithuania is based in Vilnius. Interest of the United States in Lithuania is also represented by the US Defence and Army Attache, the position is currently held by Lt Col D. Millner.

The United States is one of Lithuania's key partners in defence area. Political support and military contribution the United States rendered under the Memorandum of Understanding on Lithuanian-US defence cooperation signed in 1994 had a major influence on Lithuania's success in entering NATO. USA actively supports reform of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, and ensures every support to Lithuania's troops deployed to multinational operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Cooperation between the Lithuanian Armed Forces and the Pennsylvania Army National Guard gathered pace in the recent years, cooperation plans for events oriented at strengthening capabilities of the Lithuanian Armed Forces were ratified.

USA and Lithuania also cooperates in arranging joint training with the Baltic States; –Baltic Host 2010" held in the three Baltic capitals simultaneously to drill host country support capabilities in the beginning of June was an example. Another US-led international naval exercise taking place in the Baltic Sea on June 7-25 is –Baltops 2010". This autumn joint training event of the US and Baltic land forces – Sabre Strike" will be held in Latvia. Lithuania has invited USA to contribute its troops to the –Amber Hope" exercise our country will host in 2011.

US Air Force deployed two air contingents (in 2005 and 2008) to provide security in the Baltic skies since it joined the Baltic Air policing mission in 2005. The US Air Force is planned to guard the Baltic skies for the third time this autumn.

According to an intensive cooperation schedule in training personnel of the Lithuanian National Defence System, around 500 Lithuanian representatives underwent training in military education institutions of the United States under the US International Military Training and Education Program endorsed in 1992.