The U.S. General is planned to meet with leaderships of the Ministry of National Defence and the Lithuanian Armed Forces, and to observe a combined Lithuanian-U.S. training exercise at the Gaižiūnai Training Area (Jonava distr.)
Roughly 110 soldiers with Company D, 503rd Battalion, 173rd Airborne Brigade, U.S. Army Europe (USAREUR) and reconnaissance companies of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Birutė Uhlan Battalion and the Iron Wolf Brigade are involved in a combined training event underway at the Gaižiūnai Training Area.
Troops with the 173rd Airborne Brigade are a part of the new, the 7th, shift of the rotational U.S. ground forces in Lithuania. With the remaining part of the new shift on the ground, the paratroopers will formally replace their nationals from the 3rd Infantry Brigade.
The United States maintains a rotational presence of its ground forces in Lithuania, other Baltic states, Poland, Bulgaria and Romania as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve since spring 2014. The operation demonstrates U.S. commitment to NATO allies of ensuring their security in light of the Russian aggression in Ukraine.
The Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army is a military advisor to the President and the Secretary of Defence and a deputy to the Secretary of the U.S. Army. The office is held by four-star generals in the United States Army. The Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army is nominated by the President and appointed with advice and consent from the U.S. Senate.
General R. Odierno was appointed the 38th Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army on 7 September 2011. Over 38 years in active reserve General took part in all the major U.S.-led operations: in Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm as S3 officer, in Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003-2004, and as the commander of Multi-National Force-Iraq in 2008 – 2010.
