Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Keith Anderson | After receiving Bradley Fighting Vehicles, Strykers and other tactical vehicles Oct....... read more read more
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RUKLA, Lithuania – Lithuanian military leaders joined U.S. Soldiers here Oct. 4 to receive the first shipment of U.S. Army tracked and wheeled vehicles from the continental U.S. to the Baltic nation.
Soldiers from C Troop, 1st Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, based in Vilsek, Germany; and 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, based at Fort Hood, Texas, unloaded Bradleys, Strykers, Humvees, HEMTT fuelers, Field Liter Ambulances and other tactical vehicles from railcars for use in multinational military exercises in Lithuania.
“We’ve received our equipment with our multinational partners,” said Capt. Michael Sims, commander, C Troop, 1st Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment. “It is the first step in building relationships here and establishing a visible presence, reaffirming our dedication to Article 5 of NATO.”
Sims, a native of Orangeburg, S.C., said the training accomplishes several objectives.
“The multinational training here not only serves to accomplish our individual unit training objectives, but also improves NATO interoperability and increases its effectiveness and capabilities.”
In a successful six-week journey involving trains, cranes, ships and ferries from Texas and Germany, U.S. Army tracked and wheeled vehicles arrived Oct. 4 at their final destination in Rukla, Lithuania.
“Absolutely no issues, the Bradleys arrived safe and sound and cranked when we turned the keys, ready to roll,” said 1st Lt. Bradley Anderson, platoon leader, B Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment.
The U.S. Soldiers in Lithuania are participating in the U.S. Army Europe-led Atlantic Resolve, a multinational combined arms exercise involving the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, and host nations, taking place across Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland to enhance multinational interoperability, to strengthen relationships among allied militaries, to contribute to regional stability and to demonstrate US commitment to NATO.
“We are happy to get U.S. troops in this fourth rotation, because it will open great opportunities for training for Lithuanian troops,” said Maj. Gen. Almantas Leika, commander, Lithuanian Land Forces. “Training with U.S. Soldiers has been quite a significant development, and 2CR and 1BCT Soldiers have recent experience in Afghanistan and Iraq.”
Leika said the training will also benefit U.S. Soldiers, because it will enable them to train and become accustomed to a different operational environment than the Middle East.
| Date Taken: | 10.04.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 10.06.2014 03:15 |
| Story ID: | 144344 |
| Location: | RUKLA, LT |
| Hometown: | ORANGEBURG, SOUTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 991 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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