Czech soldiers joining NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence in Lithuania

Author: Oldrich Holecek, Nuala Casey, and courtesy of http://kam.lt/en/title.html

A ceremony on the 17th July in Rukla, Lithuania, to welcome and assign a Czech unit into the Germany-led Battlegroup based there was attended by troops from five nations and various guests.

The Czech reinforced company known as the Company Task Force, comprising approximately 230 personnel and 80 pieces of equipment, arrived at the Rukla training area last week. The Lithuanian Minister of National Defence, Raimundas Karoblis, told attendees, "The Deployment of Czech forces to Lithuania demonstrates the country’s firm support and NATO solidarity in ensuring the security of Lithuania and the Baltic Region. This active allied participation in NATO’s eFP in the Baltic states and Poland sends a clear signal that the Alliance is strong, united, and ready to respond to any threat."

The Commander of the NATO Battlegroup, Lieutenant Colonel Wolf Rüdiger Otto, together with the Lithuanian "Iron Wolf" Mechanised Brigade Commander received the Czech contribution into the battalion-size unit. The ceremony was also attended by the Czech Ambassador, Bohumil Mazanek, and the Czech Military and Air Attache to Lithuania, Lieutenant Colonel Tomas Riman, including representatives from the NATO Force Integrated Unit (NFIU) based in Lithuania’s capital Vilnius.

The Commander of the Czech unit, Lieutenant Colonel Jiri Libal, symbolically handed over the Czech National Flag to Lieutenant Colonel Wolf Rüdiger Otto, thereby confirming full integration into the allied Battlegroup.

Updated: July 25, 2018