Grand Duke Gediminas Staff Battalion
| Grand Duke Gediminas Staff Battalion | |
|---|---|
| Gedimino štabo batalionas | |
 Insignia of the Battalion | |
| Active | September 8, 1998 - Present |
| Country |  Lithuania |
| Allegiance | Lithuania |
| Branch | Lithuanian Armed Forces |
| Type |
|
| Part of |  Lithuanian Land Force |
| Garrison/HQ | Vilnius |
| Anniversaries | 25 August (Day of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas Staff Battalion) 28 November (Day of the Honour Guard) |
| Commanders | |
| Commander | Lieutenant Colonel Egidijus Čiūtas |
| Chief of Staff | Major Vytautas Gudas |
| Notable commanders | Lieutenant Colonel Saulius Juškevičius Juozas Kačergius[1] |
| Insignia | |
| Identification symbol |  |
The Grand Duke Gediminas Staff Battalion (Lithuanian: Gedimino štabo batalionas) is a unit of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, providing guard of honour units and HQ security on its behalf. It is located on 14 Jonas Kairiūkštis Street, in Vilnius.[2] 25 August is considered the Day of the battalion.
History
On 5 April 1993, the Separate Commandant Battalion (Lithuanian: Atskiras komendantinis batalionas) was created with its main function being to safeguard buildings and material possessions left behind by the Soviet Army that was leaving Lithuania.
In 1997 veterans of the regiment asked President Algirdas Brazauskas to rename the regiment after the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas. On 8 September 1998, the Separate Commandant Battalion was renamed to the Grand Duke Gediminas Staff Battalion by order of the Minister Česlovas Stankevičius, hence being granted the right to the traditions and insignia of the 1st Infantry Regiment.[3][4]
On 15 February 2002, the Battalion was solemnly bestowed a banner.[3]
On 8 January 2019, the PRISM, wired and wireless communication company was separated from the Staff battalion and became the Communication and Information Systems Battalion.[5]
Composition
- Honour Guard Company
- Lithuanian Armed Forces Band
- Headquarters Provision Company
- Deployable Communication and Information Systems Module D (DCM D) of the 3rd NATO Signal Battalion
- Intelligence Support Centre
Honour guard company and its public duties
Today, the 98 soldiers and officers coming three branches of the armed forces (Land Force, Air Force, and Naval Force) use American M14 rifles. Over the quarter century since the founding of the unit, more than 3,500 Lithuanian citizens have served in it and has taken part in more than 5700 ceremonies and reconstructions.
The uniform of the company is based on the examples from of the interwar period. During demonstrations, the soldiers of the historical platoon put on the armor of the soldiers of the 14th century Grand Duchy of Lithuania. It celebrated its silver jubilee in November 2016, during which a ceremonial parade of the unit was held in Daukanto Square near the Presidential Palace, attended by President Dalia Grybauskaite.[citation needed] Grybauskaite personally greeted the soldiers and said:
"These soldiers are the mirror of our army. Each of them evokes a sense of pride and confidence not only here in Lithuania, but also beyond its borders."[citation needed]
In August 2016, the color guard took part in the Independence Day Parade in the Moldovan capital of Chișinău.[6] As recently as 2019, it has participated in the Romanian Great Union Day parade on Piața Constituției (Constitution Square).[7]
Gallery
-
Members of the regiment teaining with dogs. -
The honor guard company during the 2007 Bastille Day Parade. -
Troops of the regiment during a parade in Vilnius. -
The color guard of the regiment during a parade in Italy. -
-
Members of the Honor Guard Company during their training.
References
- ^ http://www.lka.lt/en/structure/commandant.html?show=cv;id=49
- ^ "Pirmojo pėstininkų Lietuvos Didžiojo Kunigaikščio Gedimino pulko". www.118.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 2017-11-20.
- ^ a b Media, Fresh. "Lithuanian Armed Forces :: Structure » Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas Staff Battalion". kariuomene.kam.lt. Retrieved 2017-08-26.
- ^ "Pirmasis pėstininkų Lietuvos didžiojo kunigaikščio Gedimino pulkas 1920-1940 m. /". etalpykla.lituanistikadb.lt. Retrieved 2017-11-20.
- ^ "Gedimino štabo batalionas". Lietuvos kariuomenė (in Lithuanian).
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ [1]
- ^ https://amp.defenseromania.ro/deta-amente-militare-straine-care-au-defilat-alaturi-de-armata-romaniei-premiera-la-parada_600121.html