The ceremony began with a holly mass at the Church of St Michael the Archangel (Garrison) of Kaunas, then the PRT-17 marched down Laisvės Avenue to the garden of Vytautas the Great War Museum to the tunes of the Lithuanian Armed Forces Band and fell into a ceremonial formation.
"You are deployed to finish one of the most important, the most successful and the most responsible missions we have been involved in. Each job is measured when it is done. I would like to wish you to fulfil this mission with honour and responsibility, just like it has been done by the sixteen rotations before you," Minister Olekas said at the ceremony.
"There was a lot of uncertainty when the first Lithuania's military contingent left for Afghanistan eight years ago. Just like they hoisted the national flag of Lithuania in Ghor in 2005, you are given the privilege to lower the Lithuanian tricolours and bring it home with honour just like with honour you will have given over the security lead in Ghor to the Afghan National Security Forces," Chief of Defence of Lithuania Lieutenant General Arvydas Pocius addressed the PRT-17 personnel.
The ceremony was also attended by Mayor of Kaunas Mr Andrius Kupčinskas, Commander of the Mechanised Infantry Brigade Iron Wolf Colonel Valdemaras Rupšys, Military Ordinary of the Lithuanian Armed Forces Bishop Gintaras Grušas, commanders of the Lithuanian Armed Forces' branches, commanding personnel of military units, the Ambassadors and the Defence Attachés of Japan, U.S.A. and Ukraine, the countries contributing to the Lithuanian-led PRT in Ghor, in Lithuania, representatives of the administration of Kaunas, relatives of the deployed soldiers and other guests.
Holding to the traditions of the Lithuanian Armed Forces at the ceremony Minister of National Defence Juozas Olekas handed to Commander PRT-17 Colonel Tomas Masaitis a national flag of Lithuania and presented key pendants made of Lithuanian amber to the PRT-17 personnel as symbolic reminders of home.
Representatives of the Lithuanian Grand Duchess Birutė Society of Women from Officers' Families wished good luck and determination to the leaving troops and presented a case with good-luck wishes to be opened only upon the arrival.
At the ceremony the PRT-17 personnel paid tribute to the heroes of the liberty of the people and the re-establishment of independence by laying flowers at the Monument for the Unknown Soldier and the Monument for the Fallen for Lithuania's Freedom.
The deployment ceremony culminated in three discharges of a historic cannon executed by soldiers of the General Romualdas Giedraitis Artillery Battalion of the Mechanised Infantry Brigade Iron Wolf "For Lithuania the Homeland", "For the Lithuanian Armed Forces" and "For the deployed contingent".
Military Advisory Team (MAT) and Operational Coordination Centre Advisory Team (OCCAT) that will provide mentoring for the local security forces in Ghor have been deployed to Afghanistan along with the military contingent of the PRT-17. Lithuanian military who will be posted to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force's (ISAF) Central Command in Kabul and the Regional Command-West in Herat have also been formally deployed at the same ceremony.
The 17th shift of the Lithuanian-led Provincial Reconstruction Team which will close the PRT mission Ghor is formed mainly by the General Romualdas Giedraitis Artillery Battalion of the Mechanised Infantry Brigade Iron Wolf. In 2009 the Battalion's military personnel were deployed to Afghanistan with the PRT-9. The 17th shift is planned to depart for Afghanistan early in May.
Lithuania has scheduled closing the PRT mission and withdrawing its personnel from Ghor by the end of 2013.
The Lithuanian-led Provincial Reconstruction Team ensuring security in the province of Ghor of Afghanistan is a joint civilian-military mission, a part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) that was launched in summer 2005. As the whole province of Ghor has been drawn into the transition of security lead process, readiness of the local security forces of Ghor to take over the charge for the security in the province is being gradually increased. The objective of the current PRT operating in Ghor is to strengthen the capacity of local administration with a focus on mentoring.
www.kam.lt
