NOVEMBER, 2018. NO 6 (6). NEWS MECHANISED INFANTRY BRIGADE IRON WOLF OF THE LITHUANIAN ARMED FORCES HAS BEEN AFFILIATED TO A GERMAN ARMY DIVISION Photo credits: Sgt. Spc. Ieva Budzeikaitė Ieva Sgt. Spc. credits: Photo PRINCE JOACHIM OF THE KINGDOM OF DENMARK Lithuanians paid a tribute VISITED LITHUANIA NATO'S PRESENCE to General Adolfas SOLDIERS OF THE EFP BG PREPARED A GROUND FOR Ramanauskas-Vanagas THE EXERCISE "IRON WOLF" ON OCTOBER 6, THE HIGHEST AUTHORITY OF THE LITHUANIAN ARMED FORCES AND THE TROOPS PARTICIPATED IN THE FUNERAL OF THE LITHUANIAN PARTISAN COMMANDER BRIGADIER GENERAL ADOLFAS RAMANAUSKAS- VANAGAS. THE COFFIN OF ONE OF THE MOST PROMINENT PARTISAN COMMANDERS, COVERED UP WITH THE FLAG OF LITHUANIA AND PUT ON THE ARTILLERY CARRIAGE, WAS FAREWELLED TO THE ANTAKALNIS CEMETERY. he following is the funeral speech consolidation of the state of Lithuania in Eu- of Chief of Defence of Lithuania Lt. rope, in the world and in the consciousness of Gen. Jonas Vytautas Žukas: the Lithuanian nation, laid the foundations for T"We live in a very symbolic time: this year the new generation, which had great challeng- we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the re- es at the intersection of the two demonic pow- stored Lithuanian state, the 100th anniversary ers of the twentieth century — in the bloody SPECIAL of the restoration of the Lithuanian Army and battles of Hitler and Stalin predatory tearing the 100th anniversary of the birth of the last the Europe apart. FACE TO FACE: SEVERAL Partisan leader Adolfas Ramanauskas-Vanagas. Adolfas Ramanauskas-Vanagas was born We can consider the signs of this special in America, but grew up and matured in New OBSERVATIONS ON THE time both the discovery of the original of the Lithuania. In the "Žiburys" gymnasium in TOPIC OF CLOSE COMBAT Lithuanian Independence Act in German ar- Lazdijai, which was established by the efforts chives and the discovery of the remains of the of the priest and poet Motiejus Gustaitis, Ado- Lithuanian military officer, partisan General lfas studied more than just general education Adolfas Ramanauskas-Vanagas in the Orphan subjects. Here the young man's personality, Cemetery in Vilnius. worldview and values of Christian life formed. It took almost three decades of Independ- Exactly these noble values inspired him to ence to start opening the door into the tragic continue to pursue knowledge in the study of history of our nation's new times. pedagogy and later in the art of war. I bravely distinguish these two parallels be- The Second World War ruined the aspira- cause, I believe, it is not accidental but closely tions and lives of many young people. The related subjects. The war of 1918-1920 on the See page 3 Dear readers of the "Lithuanian Military Digest", 2018 is a special year for Lithuania — remembering the complicated Content and painful history of our country, marked by its dangerous path towards NEWS freedom, today we are proud of our flag flying higher than ever before. Still celebrating the restoration of Independence, we are welcoming an- LITHUANIANS PAID A TRIBUTE TO GENERAL other great event: the 100th anniversary of the Lithuanian Armed Forces. ADOLFAS RAMANAUSKAS-VANAGAS................................1, 3 On 16 February 1918, just right after breathing in the fresh air of free- dom, the newly formed Lithuanian Armed Forces still could not turn MECHANISED INFANTRY BRIGADE IRON WOLF away from the enemy's eyes: for the next two years, it had to fight for HAS BEEN AFFILIATED TO A GERMAN ARMY its land with the Russian bolsheviks, Bermontians and Poles again. In spite of the extremely difficult situation, over the past two decades of DIVISION.................................................................................................4 independence Lithuania has achieved considerable achievements in MINISTRY OF NATIONAL DEFENCE TO ATTRACT the fields of economics, culture and education. Finally, according to the requirements of that time, the Lithuanian Armed Forces was organized PRIVATE SECTOR TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW and a professional corps of military officers was formed. BATTALION INFRASTRUCTURE................................................5 However, at the outbreak of the Second World War, the Lithuanian Armed Forces was connected to the Soviet Army and a large number LITHUANIAN MILITARY INFRASTRUCTURE of Lithuanian officers and soldiers were shot or taken to Siberia, from DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS PRESENTED TO FOREIGN which they never returned. Eventually, the Lithuanian Armed Forces INVESTORS............................................................................................6 was destroyed, but people did not give up in the fight for freedom. In 1944 with the re-occupation of Lithuania by the Soviet Army, the parti- EU CHIEFS OF DEFENCE DISCUSSED KEY san troops began to form throughout the country, mostly led by former SECURITY AND DEFENCE COOPERATION junior military officers of the Lithuanian Armed Forces. The last parti- ISSUES IN BRUSSELS..........................................................................7 sans of Lithuania (Antanas Kraujelis-Siaubūnas in Aukštaitija and Petras Končius-Montė in Samogitia) died in the fight for freedom 20 years after PRINCE JOACHIM OF THE KINGDOM OF DENMARK the end of the Second World War. Meanwhile, from 1953 to 1986, the VISITED LITHUANIA.........................................................................8 partisan Stasys Guiga, who was hiding in the attic of one of the village houses, passed away by natural causes. BRIG. GEN. VALDEMARAS RUPŠYS ATTENDED On March 11, 1990, the Supreme Council of the Republic of Lithu- CONFERENCE IN THE U.S..............................................................9 ania signed the Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania. After that the most urgent thing was to ensure the state's sovereignty: to take MULTINATIONAL EXERCISE MAPLE ARCH 2018 over control of the borders from the Soviet Army, to achieve that the oc- CONDUCTED.....................................................................................10 cupants are withdrawn from our territory as soon as possible, and to re- store the Lithuanian Armed Forces. As the Chief of Defence of Lithuania Lieutenant General Jonas Vytauas Žukas said during the state funeral of NATO'S PRESENCE our partisan Commander Adolfas Ramanauskas-Vanagas, "It took almost SOLDIERS OF THE EFP BG PREPARED A GROUND FOR three decades of Independence to open the door into the tragic history of THE EXERCISE "IRON WOLF"...................................................12 our nation's new times." With the first step towards the Independence, the creation of contemporary Lithuanian Armed Forces began, in which men and women of our country serve proudly, while protecting freedom and SPECIAL democratic values alongside their world and homeland brothers. FACE TO FACE: SEVERAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE Wish you a pleasant reading, TOPIC OF CLOSE COMBAT.........................................................18 Team of the "Lithuanian Military Digest" Military Press Office of Lithuanian Armed Forces Totorių str. 25, LT-01121, Vilnius; Phone (370 5) 210 3897, GSM (370 6) 28 75851; fax (370 5) 273 5550; Kotryna Gurevičiūtė Correspondent Phone (370 5) 210 3897, GSM (370 6) 28 75851; fax (370 5) 273 5550; Email [email protected] Publisher — Lithuanian Armed Forces. The opinion of editorial office does not necessarily coin- cide with the opinion of the authors. Pictures, manuscripts are not returned and reviewed. Cir- culation is 300 copies. Printed by the Cartography Center of Lithuanian Military, Muitinės str.4, Domeikava, LT-54359 Kaunas dist. Order GL-543. Photo credit: Vyautas the Great War Museum War the Great credit: Vyautas Photo The soldiers of a separate Joniškėlis Partisan Death Battalion (from 10.12.1919 IX Infantry Regiment). Panevėžys, 1919. 2 Lithuanian Military Digest News Lithuanians paid a tribute to General Adolfas Ramanauskas-Vanagas From page 1 Today researchers of these events, historians, bolshevik occupation of Lithuania drastically have assessed Adolfas Ramanauskas's views and changed the destiny of Adolfas Ramanauskas- activities as highly targeted and disciplined. As Vanagas. When he came to the crossroad of de- a soldier and partisan commander, he sought termination, he chose a hard path of an unequal to combine the partisans' struggle and prepare fight. The teacher refused to be a security agent them for the liberation war, strictly adhering to and spy on his students, although part of them the military order. As a citizen opposed the oc- were already on that road... At that time, it was a cupation regime and prevented it to carry out clear choice to live or die. repressions against Lithuanian citizens, tried In the wake of the second Soviet occupa- to protect people's civic self-awareness and the tion and repression, in the spring of 1945 Ado- value of freedom aspiration. lfas Ramanauskas-Vanagas became partisan. The courageous and consistent work of The decision to leave home and the beloved Adolfas Ramanauskas, a decisive personal- teacher's work was determined not only by the ity and a persistent character inspired freedom partisan speeches, the occupants' sovietisa- fighters, but raised a great rage of KGB agents. tion efforts which were seen day after day and The best agents and spies were designated for the people's sufferings. Love for the homeland his persecution. family Ramanauskaitė-Skokauskienė credit: archive Auksutė Photo developed by the parents and the desire to pre- "When Lithuania