President of Lithuania visits Pa. Guard headquarters

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Shane Smith | Maj. Gen. Anthony Carrelli, Pennsylvania’s adjutant general, and Dalia Grybauskaitė, President of the Republic of Lithuania, discuss military cooperation between Lithuania and the U.S. and the partnership between the Pennsylvania National Guard and the Lithuanian Armed Forces during a presidential visit at Fort Indiantown Gap March 13.  

FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, PA, UNITED STATES

03.14.2019

Story by Sgt. Shane Smith 

Joint Force Headquarters - Pennsylvania National Guard

FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. – The Pennsylvania National Guard was proud to host the President of the Republic of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė and other Lithuanian senior officials during a presidential visit to the installation and headquarters here March 13.

The delegation was greeted by Maj. Gen. Anthony Carrelli, Pennsylvania’s adjutant general, and other Pennsylvania National Guard senior leaders. The visit began with a presentation on the history of the Pennsylvania National Guard State Partnership Program, a synopsis of recent military cooperation between the Pennsylvania National Guard and the Lithuanian Armed Forces, and a brief on Pennsylvania National Guard operations and capabilities relevant to our partnership with the Republic of Lithuania.

Following the initial meeting, Carrelli and Grybauskaitė travelled to the Penn State Hershey Rehabilitation Hospital in Hummelstown, Pa. to visit Renee Metzinger, a member of the Pennsylvania National Guard currently being treated at the hospital. Metzinger has served in the Pennsylvania National Guard for more than 35 years and works as a technician in the Joint Force Headquarters, Pennsylvania National Guard Human Resources Office. She has Lithuanian ancestry and appreciated the opportunity to exchange personal anecdotes with President Grybauskaitė pertaining to their mutual lineage. Metzinger thanked Carrelli and Grybauskaitė for their visit and best wishes.

Upon returning to Fort Indiantown Gap, the delegation toured various facilities on post including the Common Driver Trainer (CDT) simulator and the Eastern Army National Guard Aviation Training Site (EAATS).

This was the first time President Grybauskaitė has visited the Pennsylvania National Guard headquarters since taking office in 2009; the visit marks an important milestone in the state partnership between the Pennsylvania National Guard and the Republic of Lithuania, which commemorated 25 years of partnership in 2018. The Pennsylvania National Guard State Partnership Program began April 27, 1993 after Lithuania regained its independence from the Soviet Union.

Grybauskaitė emphasized that the United States is Lithuania’s strategic security partner and thanked the Pennsylvania National Guard for 25 years of successful partnership with the Lithuanian Armed Forces.

In addition to President Grybauskaitė, the Lithuanian delegation included Nerijus Aleksiejūnas, chief advisor to the president for foreign affairs, Rolandas Kriščiūnas, Lithuanian ambassador to the U.S., and Col. Grazvydas Liubinas, Lithuanian embassy defense attaché.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Please contact Lt. Col. Keith Hickox at [phone], or e-mail [e-mail]

• Date Taken: 03.14.2019
• Date Posted: 03.15.2019 07:18
• Story ID: 314256
• Location: FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, PA, US