Afghanistan veteran new head of Lithuanian army

[seruriermarshal]

Afghanistan veteran new head of Lithuanian army

VILNIUS (AFP) Jun 17, 2004
The Lithuanian parliament Thursday approved Afghanistan war veteran Valdas Tutkus as the head of Lithuania's army, the parliament's information bureau said.
Tutkus, 44, fought for the Soviet Union in Afghanistan. He will replace 69-year-old Jonas Kronkaitis, who formally lived in the United States and whose military carrier includes service in Vietnam.

Tutkus studied both in Soviet and NATO military institutions and is a graduate of the prestigious War Academy in Moscow and the NATO Defence College in Rome.

Since 2001 he has been serving as Field Force commander. Before that he was Lithuania's military representative at NATO.

Lithuania has 12,700 people serving in it's armed forces.

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From (http://www.spacewar.com/2004/040617214039.3q0y3lug.html)

[Zapp Brannigan]

Commissioned in 1982, Tutkus served in Afghanistan from 1983 to 1985, mainly as an infantry company commander. He went to the Frunze Military Academy from 1988 to 1991. He made major in the Soviet Army before leaving the service to become one of the founders of the Lithuanian armed forces.

http://www.kam.lt/index.php?ItemId=9648

http://www.kam.lt/EasyAdmin/sys/photos/use/Tutkus_copy_1.jpg

His predecessor, Maj. Gen. Kronkaitis, was, as noted, an American officer. Commissioned in 1959 from ROTC, he was an infantry and then an Ordnance Corps officer. You can see on his ribbon bar the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal, Army Commendation Medal, and various service medals and ribbons including the Vietnam Service Medal. He did two tours in Vietnam and retired after 27 years as a full colonel.

http://www.kam.lt/EasyAdmin/sys/photos/use/1_kam_news_4.3

[seruriermarshal]

That's so details .

Thank you Zapp Brannigan .