Photo By 1st Sgt. Jessica Barnett | U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Zackery Garcia (left), a civil affairs noncommissioned officer...... read more read more
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VILKIJA, Lithuania - Lithuanian youth and cadets honored the Forest Brothers, a brave group of partisans who valiantly fought against Soviet occupation, with a land navigation hike at Padauguva Forest near Vilkija, Lithuania, June 21, 2024, with the assistance of U.S. Army civil affairs soldiers from the 415th Civil Affairs Battalion.
The cadets, hailing from the General Yonas Semaits Military Academy of Lithuania and Povilas Plechavičius Cadet Lyceum, embarked on a land navigation hike. Service members from Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Lithuania, and the United States guided them along the way, demonstrating the solid bonds and collective strength of how NATO is stronger together.
“Lithuania has been extremely welcoming to NATO and U.S. presence,” says U.S. Army 1st Lt. Danny Haki, a civil affairs officer of the 415th CA Bn. “We value all of our allies in NATO and are here to represent that.”
Lithuania celebrated its 20th anniversary with NATO March 29, 2024, so relations, interoperability, and partnership are high.
Joined by the General Yonas Semaits Military Academy, the youth cadets challenged their physical and tactical abilities while celebrating their history. They walked through the same trees and hills the original Forest Brothers used to survive and dream of freedom in Padauguva Forest, honoring the history of the Povilas Plechavičius Cadet Lyceum’s namesake. Plechavičius was a Lithuanian military officer and later a statesman best known for leading the Forest Brothers against Soviet invasion and occupation.
Upon reaching each designated point of the hike, the cadets engaged in a series of tactical tasks. These tasks were designed to test their skills and adaptability in various scenarios, further enhancing their military training and readiness with the assistance of their assigned NATO troops.
“This event is so we can both remember the partisans and understand what they had to endure,” said Simonas Patamsa, a cadet at General Yonas Semaits Military Academy of Lithuania. “The first part was the land nav[igation]. You had to navigate through the thick forest, which was rather difficult. The other tasks the cadets completed were simulated grenade toss, an event where NATO member countries' flags were shuffled about, and the participants needed to correctly identify which flag belonged to each country, a medical event where cadets were expected to engage in some tactical medical knowledge and application along with the successful land navigation from location to location.”
The land navigation hike and tactical challenges at Padauguva Forest were more than just a training exercise; they were a powerful symbol of international cooperation, historical remembrance, and the enduring strength of the NATO alliance.
“The idea of the exercise was to conduct a hike/land navigation course with soldiers of our [NATO] partners. It gives them a chance to work together and learn about their history,” said Haki.
Sitting around a fire telling stories, seeing the bunkers that the Forest Brothers dug from the forest floor, and exchanging military patches all reinforced the bonds already present. These interactions gave the Lithuanian youth a profound sense of solidarity and camaraderie. They saw firsthand that their nation's allies stood by them, creating a lasting impression of unity and support. The shared experiences and personal connections during these moments strengthened the existing bonds and fostered new friendships among the participants.
| Date Taken: | 06.21.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 06.27.2024 12:00 |
| Story ID: | 475022 |
| Location: | VILKIJA, LT |
| Web Views: | 105 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, U.S. Army helps Lithuanian cadets honor Forest Brothers with land navigation event, by SGT Cecil Elliott II, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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