Photo By Wayne Hall | The Pennsylvania National Guard (PNG) celebrated its 30-year military-to-military...... read more read more
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HARRISBURG, Pa. – The Pennsylvania National Guard celebrated its 30-year military-to-military partnership with the Lithuanian Armed Forces, as part of the Department of Defense’s State Partnership Program, during a ceremony at the Commonwealth Keystone Building June 6.
Established on April 27, 1993, the Pennsylvania-Lithuania partnership is one of the original partnerships in the SPP. What began as simple senior leader visits and basic-level familiarization exchanges has grown into cooperative participation in large scale exercises, including co-deployments to Afghanistan and meaningful subject matter exchanges that contribute to strategic-level security initiatives focused on national defense.
“The great friendship between the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the Republic of Lithuania fostered by the establishment of our military-to-military partnership has grown tremendously,” said Maj. Gen. Mark Schindler, Pennsylvania's adjutant general. “Moving forward, we will work to strengthen our relationship by exploring additional civilian-to-civilian cooperation.”
Over the 30-year partnership, the Pennsylvania National Guard and Lithuanian Armed Forces have conducted more than 800 security cooperations engagements; 18 co-deployments to Afghanistan in support of Police Officer Mentorship Liaison Teams and Provincial Reconstruction Teams; as well as platoon and company-level exchanges.
“Since the beginning, since the independence I would say, you provide very valuable training to us,” said Chief of Defense of the Republic of Lithuania Lt. Gen. Valdemaras Rupšys. “You stood with us shoulder-to-shoulder everywhere during the exercises, during the training also during the deployment to Afghanistan.”
The foundation of military cooperation could be an example for other Lithuanian institutions to follow, Rupšys said. “I think that it’s [just] the beginning of our cooperation, this 30 years is only the beginning.”
The “Keystone state” was built largely by a melting pot of immigrants that helped shape the nation. Among the thousands who settled here were thousands of Lithuanians who settled in communities across the commonwealth.
“While our capitals may be separated by more than 4,300 miles, over the past 30 years the Pennsylvania National Guard has developed a very strong relationship with your military, and we’ve expanded upon that partnership to benefit our people, said Governor Josh Shapiro. “Most folks don’t realize how connected your country and our commonwealth are.”
“Our partnership of course extends beyond that of military readiness and collaboration, our close ties have opened up the doors to economic opportunity for both of our people,” Shapiro added.
For example, Shapiro said, last year our Secretary of Agriculture Russell Reading and Lithuania’s Minister of Agriculture signed a partnership to share knowledge on agricultural topics including organic farming, hemp, animal and plant disease and climate-friendly agriculture practices.
“We will continue to call upon the trust that we have built over the last 30 years as we navigate the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow, from military preparedness to agriculture, to defending and protecting freedom around the globe,” Shapiro said.
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the Republic of Lithuania seemed to have been perfectly matched as military partners, as both have so much in common.
“When I visit Lithuanian communities, especially here in Pennsylvania I always see Pennsylvania National Guard is present,” said Audra Plepytė, Lithuanian ambassador to the United States and Mexico.
Plepytė added that the cooperation between the Pennsylvania National Guard and Lithuania is increasingly important in defending values.
“The ideas of freedom which were born in this state, in Philadelphia, reached all countries across the world and especially Lithuania,” Plepytė said. “That encouraged our people then in the 18th century to write the second constitution.”
The SPP is a joint U.S. Department of Defense security cooperation program that is managed and administered by the Chief of the National Guard Bureau. It grew out of DoD efforts to assist the militaries of former occupied territories of the Soviet Union transition into a western-model military structure following the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union. The initial partner nations were Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia.
What started with just three partner nations in 1993 has grown into 88 official partnerships across 100 partner nations and 54 National Guard states, territories and the District of Columbia.
The strength of the Pennsylvania National Guard’s partnership became even more clear when the National Guard Bureau recognized Pennsylvania and Lithuania as the 2022 Partnership of the Year on April 22 this year, just days before the official 30th anniversary.
| Date Taken: | 06.08.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 06.08.2023 08:36 |
| Story ID: | 446474 |
| Location: | HARRISBURG, PA, US |
| Web Views: | 135 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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