Commander: US commits to steady presence in Latvia

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During his official visit to Washington DC this week the Commander of the National Armed Forces (NBS), Lieutenant General Raimonds Graube received the commitment of US Army General Raymond Odierno that American soldiers will remain a permanent presence in the Baltic states, reported defense news portal Sargs.lv Friday.

“I’m pleased with the US decision to act quickly to fulfil the resolution taken at the NATO Wales Summit to strengthen the alliance’s presence on the eastern frontier in this complicated geopolitical situation,” said Graube. As long as the situation in the region requires this, he said, the US will continue its Atlantic Resolve operation launched last year.

“The presence of US troops on the ground in Latvia not just serves as a deterrent, but also contributes greatly to our soldiers’ knowledge and skills through joint drills and exercises,” the NBS commander said.

Graube also met with the state of Michigan’s National Guard, with whom the NBS has had a running cooperative friendship for close to two decades, as well as with the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Special Forces units, with whom he discussed training in preparation for the precarious situation of hybrid war.

Later he conferred with the US House of Representatives Armed Services Committee head Mac Thornberry regarding regional security issues and US-Latvian military cooperation.

Graube’s official visit to the US closed at the United Nations in New York, where he met with the deputy general secretary for peacekeeping operations, as well as attended a conference of national armed forces commanders to discuss current UN operations and challenges.

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