GARKALNES, Latvia – A shipment arrived by train July 7, 2016, containing M2A2 Bradley Fighting Vehicles (BFV), M1114 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWV), and M977 Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Trucks (HEMTT) for the soldiers assigned to 3rd Battalion, 69th Armored Regiment. Soldiers assigned to 386th Transportation Detachment, 39th Transport Battalion, are the movement control for 3rd Battalion.
Marines from Black Sea Rotational Force get together with Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Germany, and Canada to demonstrate NATO's combined-arms capabilities against potential adversaries.
RIGA, Latvia – Soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division offload an M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tank from the transportation vessel “Liberty Promise” March 9 at the Riga Universal Terminal docks. More than 100 pieces of equipment, including the tanks, M2A3 Bradley Fighting Vehicles and assorted military cargo, will move on to sites in other areas of Latvia as well as Estonia and Lithuania in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve.
Approximately 750 U.S. Army and military vehicles and equipment, including tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, artillery pieces and helicopters from the 3rd Infantry Division arrived in Riga, Latvia, on Monday.
Over the coming weeks, as part of the next bilateral Operation Atlantic Resolve (OAR) land force rotation, elements of the U.S. Army's 1st Brigade Combat Team 1st Cavalry Division will begin deploying to Poland, Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania with tanks, mechanized vehicles, and other heavy military equipment.
U.S. Air National Guard troops from Michigan’s 110th and Washington D.C.’s 113th Civil Engineer Squadrons, as part of their annual training, partnered with Latvian military engineers to replace and insulate Ogre 1st High School's roof and install a fence for Adazi High School to improve the local communities.
U.S. Special Operations forces, in support of Special Operations Command Europe (SOCEUR), participated in an opening ceremony for Exercise Spring Storm Monday. This opening ceremony kicked of the special operations portion of the Estonian Defense Forces’ annual exercise.
Approximately 150 Soldiers from the 173rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) in Vicenza, Italy arrived in Latvia April 24, 2014, to conduct small unit and leader training with members of the Latvian Army.
As a continued demonstration of the United States’ commitment to NATO and our collective defense responsibilities, U.S. Army Europe will deploy forces to Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia to conduct expanded land force training exercises, reinforcing our commitment to the security of our allies in the region.
Twenty-nine nations and three international organizations participated in the Combined Endeavor Main Planning Conference. The conference deliverables assisted in designing a mission network that utilized an interoperable “bring your own devices model” and ensured the international coalition audience was able to participate. Ultimately, the mission network contributed toward constructing an exercise operational scenario across land, air and cyberspace domains.
Following Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel's announcement today during Senate testimony that the United States is augmenting its participation in NATO's air policing mission in the Baltics and will increase joint training through its aviation detachment in Poland, a defense official provided additional information.
Mark Pekala, U.S. Ambassador to Latvia, talks about the evolving Latvian armed forces mission in Afghanistan from intense combat, to training the Afghan armed forces, and determining what their role will be in Afghanistan post-2014.
Mark Pekala, U.S. Ambassador to Latvia, talks about transforming the primary mission of the Northern Distribution Network, or NDN, from moving food, fuel and supplies to the troops in Afghanistan into a commercial network dubbed the 'New Silk Road by the Latvians stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific as a basis for future economic development, trade and investments.
The Michigan National Guard celebrates their 20-year partnership with Latvia with a look back at how the partnership started and and some milestones along the way.
Maj. Gen. Gregory Vadnais talks about three deployments into Afghanistan with the Latvian military, the maturing of their joint terminal attack controller, or JTAC, program and the Latvians ability to now train the Polish military.
In a Pentagon meeting with Latvian Defense Minister Artis Pabriks today, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel commended Latvia for its steadfast participation in International Security Assistance Force operations in Afghanistan and for the energy and perspective that Latvia and its Baltic counterparts have brought to NATO, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.
All the supplies that sustain our troops in Afghanistan don’t get there by magic. Food, uniform items, and construction supplies make a long journey to Afghanistan through the northern distribution network. Airman First Class Valerie Lloyd takes us to Riga, Latvia for more.
By actively contributing to and participating in Steadfast Jazz 2013, the U.S. can reaffirm its commitment to trans-Atlantic security and to the NATO alliance. It would also show America’s allies in the Baltic States and Poland that their contributions to overseas military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan were appreciated.
Representatives from 10 nations met to plan the 41st Exercise Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) at the naval base in Kiel, Germany, Apr. 9-11. BALTOPS 13, annually hosted by the United States Navy, aims to improve maritime security in the Baltic Sea through increased interoperability and cooperation among regional allies.
On Thursday, March 21, the U.S. Ambassador to Latvia, Mark Pekala, participated in a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of the newly reconstructed Fire and Rescue Station in Gulbene.
Just back from Sweden and Finland -- not NATO allies, but certainly premier partners both. I visited both in my hat as Commander of US European Command.
As Saber Strike 12 draws to a close, SFC Adam Shaw takes a moment to reflect on what the exercise means for the participating militaries, the troops, and the world.
From the vehicle to the ground, the 2nd Cavalry Regiment trains for it all. SGT Carl Greenwell tells us a little about what they were training on at Exercise Saber Strike 12.
After two weeks of intense training, about 2000 troops from eight nations begin to pack up and head home from five locations spread across Estonia and Latvia as exercise Saber Strike 2012 comes to an official close following ceremonies in Tapa, Estonia, and Adazi, Latvia. The troops will leave having made new friends, learned new techniques, and developed the confidence that they will be able to better operate together in upcoming deployments to Afghanistan.
Latvia has emerged as a significant international player, supporting peace and democracy world wide. Per capita, it is one of the largest contributors to international military operations.