Iron Wolf Mechanised Infantry Brigade

The 'Iron Wolf' Mechanised Infantry Brigade ( _lt. motorizuotoji pėstininkų brigada 'Geležinis vilkas') is the core unit of the Lithuanian Army. The brigade's current commander is Lt. Col. Darius Užkuraitis.

Current Composition

* Brigade's HQ, stationed in Rukla
* The King Mindaugas Motorized Infantry Battalion ( _lt. Karaliaus Mindaugo motorizuotasis pėstininkų batalionas), stationed in Panevėžys with M113 Armored Personnel Carriers
* The Grand Duke Algirdas Mechanized Infantry Battalion ( _lt. Lietuvos didžiojo kunigaikščio Algirdo mechanizuotasis pėstininkų batalionas), stationed in Ruklawith M113 Armored Personnel Carriers
* The Grand Duchess Birutė Motorized Infantry Battalion ( _lt. Didžiosios kunigaikštienės Birutės motorizuotasis pėstininkų batalionas), stationed in Alytus
* The Grand Duke Kęstutis Motorized Infantry Battalion ( _lt. Lietuvos didžiojo kunigaikščio Kęstučio motorizuotasis pėstininkų batalionas), stationed in Tauragė
* The General Romualdas Giedraitis Artillery Battalion ( _lt. Generolo Romualdo Giedraičio artilerijos batalionas), stationed in Rukla (with M119 Howitzer)
* Brigade HQ company
* Signals company
* Scouts company
* Antitank company (with Javelins)
* Antiaircraft company (with Stingers)

History

The unit originates in June, 1990, when a separate security squad is created. Same year, in autumn, an honors company is created.

* January 13, 1991 - both the security squad and the honors company defend the Lithuania's Parliament building, the Hall of Press, the Ministers' Council building, the Vilnius TV tower, and other buildings during the USSR's armed forces assault on the newly-independent Lithuania.
* February 22, 1991 - a Training Regiment ( _lt. Mokomasis junginys) is created, with Col. Česlovas Jezerskas assigned as the commander.
* November 14, 1991 - Training Regiment reorganized as Rapid Reaction Mechanized Infantry Brigade ( _lt. Greitojo reagavimo motodesantinė brigada). Brigade's subunits, stationed in various parts of Lithuania, are considered equal to battalions.
* Spring, 1992 - First draftees are assigned to the newly-formed Brigade, with battalions stationed Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipėda, Šiauliai, Tauragė, and two companies are stationed in Alytus and Marijampolė (the two latter later growing into full battalions).
* January 2, 1992 - Renamed as Field Infantry 1st Mechanized Brigade ( _lt. Lauko kariuomenės 1-oji motodesantine brigada).
* June 6, 1992 - Unit's first parade on Cathedral Square in Vilnius. Brigade is awarded the name 'Iron Wolf' ( _lt. 'Geležinis Vilkas').
* January 27, 1995 through May 14, 2001 - Col. Jonas Vytautas Žukas serves as unit's commander.
* April 1, 1995 - Klaipėda's battalion is reassigned under the Navy command. Kaunas's battalion reassigned under the Army HQ's command.
* January 26, 1996 - Field Infantry Brigade reorganized as 'Iron Wolf' Mechanized Infantry Brigade ( _lt. Motorizuotoji pėstininkų brigada 'Geležinis Vilkas').
* October 27, 1996 - Brigade's battalions in Šiauliai (the 'Grand Duke Vaidotas' battalion) and Tauragė (the 'Grand Duke Kęstutis' battalion) are reassigned as separate units.

International Cooperation

The Brigade constantly takes part in joint projects, international operations, and wargames together with other countries' military units. Among those are the British Armed Forces, the Army of Denmark, the Army of the Czech Republic, the United States Military, Poland and Germany.

International Joint Projects

* ARTBALT, a joint project with Denmark to create an artillery battalion in Lithuania
* BALTBAT, a multinational project aimed to create and train a joint infantry battalion between Lithuania's, Latvia's, and Estonia's militaries. The project is executed in cooperation with several Scandinavian nations, Great Britain, and the USA.
* LITPOLBAT, a project to create a joint battalion with Poland's military.
* LITBAT, a project aimed to reorganized the Grand Duke Algirdas Battalion into a mechanized infantry battalion, capable of operating together with NATO forces. Executed with the help of Denmark's military instructors.
* Grunwald Wind, a biannual military practice in Poland. The Brigade's HQ and the Duchess Birtutė Battalion take part in those.
* The biannual Amber Hope military practice, together with other BALTBAT members.
* The NATO military practice Strong Resolve 2001 and Strong Resolve 2002 in Poland.
* The Cooperative Lantern 2002 military practice in the Netherlands, attended by soldiers from the Brigade HQ and the King Mindaugas Battalion.

International Peacekeeping Missions

* Croatia
* Bosnia and Herzegovina
* Kosovo

Name

The name of the brigade relates to the foundation legend of the city of Vilnius. According to it, Gediminas, the grand duke of Lithuania, had a prophetic dream that involved an iron wolf howling on a hill where the city was later built.

The battalions are named after the former rulers of Lithuania.

References

*http://www.kam.lt/index.php/en/34558/
*lt icon [http://www.ginklai.net/view/76/mpbr_gele%C5%BEinis_vilk.html www.Ginklai.net] - article used with permission