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National Defence Volunteer Forces
Volunteer forces were officially established on 17 January 1991 by the law of the Supreme Council of Lithuania on the National Defence Volunteer Service providing basis for establishing Voluntary National Defence Service. This decision made legal already existing volunteer formations that began appearing as early as 1990. Voluntary National Defence Service was reorganised into the National Defence Volunteer Force. In 2003 Volunteer Force was integrated into the Lithuanian Land Force. Tasks of volunteer soldiers were inevitably altered when Lithuania became a full-fledged member of NATO: approach of territorial defence was changed into territorial defence and training of modern active reserve.
Structure and subdivisions
Volunteer Force comprises 5 territorial units covering the entire territory of Lithuania: 1st Territorial Unit of Dainava Military District, 2nd Territorial Unit of Darius and Girėnas Military District, 3rd Territorial Unit of Žemaiciai Military District, 5th Territorial Unit of Vytis Military District, 8th Territorial Unit of the Great Battle Military District, Lithuanian Grand Duke Butigeidis Dragoon Training Battalion, and Aviation Unit. There are around 5000 volunteers and around 800 professional soldiers in the force.
The following specialised units were formed within the Volunteer Force in 2004 - 2008: CIMIC Company, Crossing Platoon (under the Engineering Battalion Crossing Company), Military Police Company, Medical Company, and Special Operations Company. Volunteer artillery specialists to support the Artillery Battalion are trained by joint efforts with the General Romualdas Giedraitis Artillery Battalion.
