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Lithuanian National Defence Volunteer Forces

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National Defence Volunteer Forces (NDVF)
Sign of NDVF
Active1991 - present
Country Lithuania
BranchLithuanian Armed Forces
Typemilitary volunteer forces
Sizemore than 4,300 active personnel
Garrison/HQVilnius
Anniversaries17 January 1991
Commanders
Current
commander		Colonel Antanas Plieskis
Insignia
Flag of NDVF
Military unit

The National Defence Volunteer Forces or NDVF (Template:Lang-lt, previously Savanoriškoji krašto apsaugos tarnyba (SKAT)) is an important part of the Lithuanian Armed Forces. The Commander of the NDVF is appointed by the Minister of National Defence and is subordinate to the Commander of the Armed Forces. The NDVF is organised along administrative boundaries. It is composed of companies organised into battalions within territorial defence brigades. Each NDVF unit down to battalion level contains regular army officers and a skeletal cadre that directs training and administrative functions. The rest of the NDVF personnel are volunteers who serve with no pay.

History

By the end of 1991 all units of the National Defence System were formed on a voluntary basis.
On 11 January 1991 several hundred of the Parliament defenders took an oath of allegiance to the Republic of Lithuania and with support from the public began preparing for a possible attack against the Lithuanian Supreme Council building (presently the Parliament of Lithuania). Other volunteers joined units to protect facilities of the Press Palace, Vilnius Television Tower, and other strategic assets when the Soviet Union was attempting to overthrow the legal authorities of Lithuania and reintroduce an occupational regime in January 1991.
On 17 January 1991 the Supreme Council of the Republic of Lithuania passed the law on the National Defence Volunteer Service, which became the basis for the establishment of the then Voluntary National Defence Service (VNDS).
In March 1991 the VNDS staff, an operational platoon, the VNDS Training Centre were formed as well as 200 company size units were organised into eight territorial defence regions. In accordance with an order issued by Director General of Department of National Defence, Colonel Jonas Gečas was appointed as the Chief of Staff of the Voluntary National Defence Service.
During the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, volunteer serviceman Artūras Sakalauskas lost his life in the line of duty when defending the Lithuanian Supreme Council on 21 August.
Once the coup d'état was defeated, NDVS units received an order to block the Soviet forces in order to prevent them from bringing replacement troops from Russia into Lithuania. At that time forty-four guard posts were installed where 201 NDVS members would simultaneously stand on duty. At the end of 1991, the Volunteer Forces embarked upon the protection of national strategic assets.
Volunteer units provided support to civilian authorities in the event of natural or industrial disasters. In the summer of 1992, thousands of volunteers assisted in fighting fires in wooded areas and peat lands; they participated in cleaning hazardous spill on the Nemunas River subsequent to an ecological disaster in Belarus. They also took part in relief activities during the flood of the Nemunas Delta in the Western part of Lithuania. In 1993, during a visit of Pope John Paul II to Lithuania, thousands of volunteers helped the police maintain public order.
The Volunteer units took part in the first military exercises organised by the Lithuanian Armed Forces including the first joint military exercises Safeguard '93, Wind of Spring (1997-1998), Baltic Challenge (1998), Amber Hope series.
As of 1994 members of the Volunteer Forces have been participating international peacekeeping missions.
In 1998 the Voluntary National Defence Service (SKAT in Lithuanian) was reorganised as the National Defence Volunteer Forces, KASP – in Lithuanian) and became an integral part of the Lithuanian Armed Forces.
Since 2004 the Lithuanian Grand Duke Butigeidis Dragoon Battalion has been assigned to the Volunteer Forces.
On 1 July 2005 the 9th Territorial Unit of the Kęstutis Military District of the Volunteer Force was restructured. The force units and members have been placed under the control of the 3rd Territorial Unit of the Žemaičiai military District and the 2nd Territorial Unit of Darius and Girėnas Military District.
On 1 September 2005 the 4th Territorial Unit of Tauras Military District was restructured. The force units and member have been placed under subordination of the 1st Territorial Unit of Dainava Military District and the 2nd Territorial Unit of Darius and Girėnas Military District.

Structure

The structure of the NDVF is as follows:

  • 1st Territorial Unit Dainava Military District, Alytus;
  • 2nd Territorial Unit Darius and Girėnas Military District, Kaunas;
  • 3rd Territorial Unit Žemaičiai Military District, Klaipėda;
  • 5th Territorial Unit Vytis Military District, Panevėžys;
  • 8th Territorial Unit Didžioji Kova Military District, Vilnius;
  • Aviation Unit, Vilnius;
  • Lithuanian Grand Duke Butigeidis Dragoon Training Battalion.

Functions

In peacetime, the National Defence Volunteer Forces (NDVF) provide military training for volunteers and their units, prepare the Voluntary Reserves and protect strategic sites. The NDVF also provides assistance in the event of armed conflict or a natural/industrial disaster. The NDVF units are trained for both conventional and non-conventional warfare, and work closely with units of the Lithuanian Armed Forces and with border police units in border regions. In the restructuring of Lithuania's Armed Forces, the combat units of the NDVF come under the operational command of brigades' commanders in the Military regions.

Soldier of the Lithuanian National Defence Volunteer Forces during training.

Main tasks of NDVF are:

  1. Training of NDVF military specialists and specialised units capable of participating in international crisis response operations:
    1. to train logistics, combat support, medical units and military specialists for participation in missions;
    2. to train military personnel to complement maneuvering and combat support units of regular battalions in carrying out crises response operations;
    3. to train military personnel for participation in missions in the capacity of communications officers, liaison officers, interpreters, specialists of law, civil-military co-operation, public relations and other specialized areas.
  2. Accomplishment of defence infrastructure security during crisis and wartime, to provide protection of national strategic objects:
    1. to plan and accomplish security and protection of defence infrastructure, rearward regions and strategic objects;
    2. to organise and accomplish continuos surveillance and reconnaisance;
    3. when necessary, to provide surveillance and security of strategic national objects which may be threatened by terror attacks.
  3. Provision of assistance to civil authorities and the police in circumstances and events defined by laws:
    1. to represent the Lithuanian Armed Forces among the society;
    2. to maintain a constant contact with Lithuanian municipalities and county administrations;
    3. to participate in the activity of various level emergency control centres;
    4. to assist civil authorities in natural disasters and calamities relief efforts;
    5. in the events and circumstances established by law, to provide assistance to the police;
    6. when it is necessary, to render assistance to the State Border Guard Service in accomplishing border protection.
  4. Exercising Host Nation Support for NATO and partner forces:
    1. to receive allied forces;
    2. help to ensure safety and protection of the incoming forces in the territory of Lithuania;
    3. to carry out protection areas of technical equipment.
  5. Administration of the reserve of Armed Forces:
    1. to carry out accounting of military personnel of the active voluntary and individual non-active reserve;
    2. be ready to accomplish mobilisation of military units to ensure regeneration.

References

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