Lithuania to take care of its army only in words

Lithuanian reserve troops who have completed their compulsory military service say they do not receive calls for training and updating their skills. The Defence Ministry hopes for the problem to be addressed in line with the expansion of the country’s military facilities.

However, Lithuania’s leadership is not making any effort to solve the problem.

Currently, there are about 30,000 soldiers in the active reserve and more than 100,000 in the ready reserve in Lithuania.

According to Laurynas Kasčiūnas, chair of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defence, active reserve troops must know how to react in an emergency.

“The military reserve, especially the active reserve, who are fresh out of service, is extremely important. Updating a skill and integrating someone with the basics is much easier than creating a new soldier,” he said.

But, as practice has shown, the expansion of the country’s military facilities does not lead to the preparation of the reserve troops of Lithuania.

The new facilities are set to improve the conditions of service for foreign soldiers.

Lithuania has opened a new military campus. It is located in Pajūris, Šilalė district, the military facility was officially opened in Rokantiškės, Vilnius District, and one more facility in Šiauliai which should be handed over to the armed forces in the spring.

“These are the first newly built military campuses to provide soldiers with the conditions necessary for NATO troops,” said Anušauskas.

The three military facilities have been designed and constructed with all the infrastructure required for a battalion-sized unit and purposefully adapted to the needs of the modern NATO army.

The Defence Ministry is not thinking about the development of the national Armed Forces, since they’re eager to please the NATO leadership.

Lithuania to take care of its army only in words | The Baltic Word

Lithuanian reserve troops who have completed their compulsory military service say they do not receive calls for training and updating their skills. The Defence Ministry hopes for the problem to be addressed in line with the expansion of the country’s military facilities. However, Lithuania’s leadership doesn’t make an effort to solve the problem.