Task Force Stilwell participates in September 11th Remembrance with Lithuanian forces

Photo By 1st Lt. Hannah Morgan | Lithuanian forces join Task Force Stilwell Soldiers at the Rukla Training Area in Lithuania, rendering a salute to the commanding officer at the opening of the memorial ceremony, remembering the tragic events and honoring those individuals that gave their lives. (Lithuanian Land Forces photo by Gintaras Striupaitis.)  

RUKLA, LITHUANIA

09.11.2015

Story by 1st Lt. Hannah Morgan 

16th Sustainment Brigade

RUKLA, Lithuania – On the 14th anniversary of September 11th, Task Force Stilwell participated in a joint-nation ceremony with Lithuanian forces at the Rukla Training Area, to honor the memory of those individuals who have given their lives.

Task Force Stilwell operations officer, 1st Lt. James Rojek, coordinated the ceremony with the Lithuanian Training Regiment, which holds a daily morning formation at Rukla, Lithuania. To pay tribute to the occasion, the Lithuanians included “The Star-Spangled Banner” after the Lithuanian National Anthem, and spoke in Lithuanian and English about the importance of the day.

“Much like the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, the United States became suddenly aware of the vulnerability to attack at home. Unlike the nations of Europe, where war has been a constant in the course of its history, the U.S. has seen little bloodshed at home since the dawn of the 20th century,” said Rojek, who as the senior American officer of the Task Force provided remarks for the ceremony.

A moment of silence in memory of the victims and fallen servicemen and women, both US and Allied, who have died since 2001 followed the remarks. Concluding the morning assembly, Lithuanian and American units participated in a formal drill and ceremony procession for the officers leading the event.

Staff Sgt. Junior Lene, the operations NCO for Task Force Stilwell said, “It was very important for our troops to participate with the Lithuanians today. It was encouraging to see other countries remembering an event that had an enormous impact upon our country.”

Task Force Stilwell participated in numerous host-nation events in the Baltics over the summer of 2015, yet this occasion was formative, demonstrating the camaraderie existing between Allied nations with a common goal of securing freedom around the world.

• Date Taken: 09.11.2015
• Date Posted: 09.15.2015 11:37
• Story ID: 176077
• Location: RUKLA, LT