Other events in Baltic States

On August 18-19 the third rotation of US military, USAREUR paratroopers from a company assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade arrived from their permanent station in Vicenza, Italy, at the Air Base in Siauliai to replace the 173rd Airborne Brigade's 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment in Lithuania, the Ministry of National Defence said.

Just like the previous rotations, Alpha Company, 1st Battalion (Airborne), 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade will stay at the Duke Vaidotas Mechanised Infantry Battalion of the Iron Wolf Mechanised Infantry Brigade in Rukla.

The US paratroopers will take over from the previous rotation the active training with units of the Lithuanian Land Force and join combined exercises of various focuses – Saber Junction, Fire Thunder, and other.

The initial US rotation was deployed in Lithuania to carry out common defence tasks in late April. The following shift replaced them in June.

The US forces have been involved in land force combat training exercises across Lithuania since May, including Black Arrow in May, the recently concluded US-Baltic Exercise Saber Strike 2014 in June, and other combined training events in Rukla, Klaipeda, Pabrade, and other locations. The rotating US presence is planned to be sustained in Lithuania through at least the end of the year.

Lithuania is providing any host nation support necessary, lodging, feeding, logistic support, etc., for the deployed forces.

The United States has deployed its military units for training in Lithuania in response to the threats the Russian intervention in Ukraine is causing to the region. US forces of similar qualification and size are also deployed in Poland, Latvia and Estonia.