Photo By Sgt. Eric Allen | U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyler Ogden, assigned to 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry...... read more read more
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PABRADĖ TRAINING AREA, Lithuania — U.S. Soldiers assigned to 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment partnered with members of the Lithuanian Riflemen’s Union during a nine-week Leader Validation Exercise designed to enhance interoperability, readiness and national defense capabilities. The exercise brings together more than 400 Riflemen from across Lithuania to build a shared foundation in leadership, marksmanship, medical training and small unit tactics. The program focuses on developing leaders who can return to their home units and train others, multiplying the effectiveness of the force nationwide. “We are training hard to achieve better levels and quality of training, basically to work together with our partners,” said a Lithuanian Riflemen’s Union member, who requested anonymity for operational security reasons. “Collaborating with U.S. troops is a big boost in morale. It’s feeling shoulder-to-shoulder with American Soldiers, understanding how operations should be executed and how we do our procedures.” U.S. Army Capt. Zach Lanctot, a company commander supporting the exercise, emphasized the long term impact of the training. “It’s a nine-week program of instruction that we’re running to help them train themselves and equip them with the skills needed to deter, reinforce and ensure their country is safe,” Lanctot said. “There are 400 leaders from all over the country learning from us, and they’re going to take what we teach them and go train their own people.” The exercise highlights a “train-the-trainer” approach, enabling the LRU to standardize procedures and strengthen cohesion across its ranks while reinforcing NATO interoperability. “They are not full time warriors—they have jobs and train on weekends because they’re passionate about protecting their country,” Lanctot said. “Anyone with that level of commitment—I want to match it. They deserve our full effort.” The LRU, established more than a century ago, is made up of civilian volunteers who support national defense alongside Lithuania’s military. According to LRU members and U.S. trainers, participants often balance full time civilian careers while dedicating personal time and resources to training, frequently attending weekend exercises and investing in their own equipment and development. “That’s a sign that you’re not alone,” the LRU member said. “When you’re working with allies on your own soil, you understand that if something happens, we will fight together.” As the training continues, both U.S. and Lithuanian participants expect it to elevate capabilities and strengthen the alliance while reinforcing collective defense across NATO’s eastern flank. “When you train together, you have more sweat during training and less blood during the war,” the LRU member said.
| Date Taken: | 04.25.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 04.27.2026 16:33 |
| Story ID: | 563675 |
| Location: | LT |
| Web Views: | 19 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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