New rotation of peacekeepers will depart for Afghanistan from Alytus

October 26, deployment ceremony of the tenth rotation of the Lithuanian-led Chaghcharan Provincial Reconstruction Team will be held in Alytus, Town Hall Square. Minister of National Defence Rasa Juknevičienė, Chief of Defence Maj. Gen. Arvydas Pocius, representatives of Alytus Town, District and Region administrations, guests and families of the departing troops will attend the event.

The solemn ceremony will begin by celebration of a holy mass after which the event will proceed to the Town Hall Square where a solemn parade will take place.

PRT-10 is formed on the basis of the 1st Territorial Unit of Dainava Military District of National Defence Volunteer Force (NDVF), part of personnel comes from other NDVF territorial units and divisions of Lithuanian Armed Forces. A significant part of members in PRT-10 have already served in multinational missions in the Balkan region, Iraq and Afghanistan. One third of the contingent's personnel are volunteers who will leave their civilian jobs and education institutions as well as families and relatives in Lithuania for the period of rotation.

The rotation will depart to Afghanistan in the end of October.

Lithuanian-led PRT took up responsibility for security in Ghowr in June 2005. PRT is a joint military-civilian mission operating under International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). Its main task is to help Afghan Central Government extend its authority in the province, and to ensure security and environment suitable for provincial reconstruction.

Together with around 150 of Lithuanian military and civilian personnel representatives of Denmark, Georgia, Japan, the USA, Croatia, Romania, and Ukraine provide security in Ghowr. PRT-9 is formed on the basis of Gen. Romualdas Giedraitis Artillery Battalion. Shifts of the PRT rotate on a biannual basis.

For the media: contact person PIO for PRT-10 1st Lt. Skomantas Povilionis, cell phone 8 657 55 700.

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More facts about Lithuania's contribution to multinational operations:

Other missions of the Lithuanian Armed Forces in Afghanistan. Lithuanian Special Operations Forces Squadron conducts a mission under ISAF in the southern Afghanistan, province of Kandahar. Lithuanian officers are also deployed to ISAF operational headquarters in Kabul and Herat. LAF National Support Element in Kabul since February 2009 ensure logistic support of Lithuanian civilian and military personnel serving in Afghanistan.

Missions of the Lithuanian Armed Forces in Iraq, Kosovo, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Currently Lithuania has four military in the NATO Iraq Training Mission preparing local security forces. Five Lithuania soldiers serves in a similar mission in Kosovo. One officer represents Lithuanian Armed Forces in „ALTHEA" Operation Headquarters in Bosnia and Herzegovina.