New US Defence attache comes to Lithuania

  • 2014-07-02
  • From wire reports, VILNIUS

Defence Attaches of the United States to Lithuania have changed over at a formal ceremony at the Ministry of National Defence.

Colonel Jeffrey L. Jennette will be replaced in the position by Lieutenant Colonel John C. Moore, the Ministry of National Defence said.

The ceremony was also attended by US Ambassador in Lithuania Deborah A. McCarthy and representatives of the Ministry of National Defence and the Lithuanian Armed Forces.

The incoming US Defence Attache in Lithuania LTC J. C. Moore is a graduate of International Business at San Diego State University, and an MA holder in Russian, Eastern European and Eurasian Studies from Stanford University.

LTC has been appointed to various positions in the missions in Bosnia and Herzegovina and South Korea, and served as a Tank Company Commander in Bagdad. The most recent posting of the incoming Defence Attache was that of the Tactical Advisor for Georgian 22nd Infantry Battalion in Iraq. LTC J. C. The new attache will be based in Vilnius.

The US is one of Lithuania's key partners in defence area. Lithuania engaged actively in the counter-terrorism efforts of the US-led international coalition. More than 300 military of the Lithuanian Armed Forces have graduated from various military education institutions of the United States.

The US has already deployed four rotations of the NATO Baltic Air Policing Mission. The country was also the first NATO ally to augment the mission by deploying 6 additional F-15 Eagle fighter aircraft to the Siauliai Air Base of the Lithuanian Air Force in response to the developments in Ukraine.

Around 600 troops of the 173rd Airborne Brigade of US Army in Europe (USAREUR) were deployed in Lithuania and Poland on April 26. After a series of joint training with Lithuanian military they were replaced by the second US rotation in Lithuania, the 173rd Airborne Brigade's 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment, on June 24.