Lithuania’s 1st Division formally receives combat flag in historic military ceremony

The Lithuanian Armed Forces marked a historic milestone on Saturday as the 1st Division was officially presented with its combat flag and assumed command of the country’s largest land force units, state broadcaster LRT reports.

During a ceremony in Ukmergė, the division integrated two key brigades—the Iron Wolf Mechanized Infantry Brigade and the Grand Duke Jonušas Radvila’s “Žemaitija” Motorized Infantry Brigade—as well as the Colonel Juozas Vitkus Engineering Battalion. The restructuring follows over a year of preparatory work to establish the division’s operational headquarters, including personnel training and updated procedures.

Lithuanian Chief of Defence General Raimundas Vaikšnoras highlighted the division’s readiness, stating that recent exercises in Germany confirmed its ability to independently plan and execute operations alongside NATO allies. “Today, we transition from fragmented capabilities to unified combat power,” he said, acknowledging mentorship from the U.S. Army’s V Corps, Pennsylvania National Guard, and NATO’s Multinational Corps Northeast.

The division’s commander, Brigadier General Aurelijus Alasauskas, emphasized ongoing collaboration with international partners, including U.S. and German forces, to refine tactical skills. “Our soldiers are prepared to adopt new weaponry, technology, and unmanned systems to enhance firepower and battlefield control,” he said, calling the division’s emblem a “symbol of discipline, readiness, and combat strength.”

Further expansion is planned, with the future addition of the “Aukštaitija” Brigade, air defense, artillery, and engineering regiments, as well as armored and infantry fighting vehicle battalions. These upgrades will significantly bolster Lithuania’s land warfare capabilities, according to military leaders.

Brigadier General Nerijus Stankevičius, head of the Land Forces, described the reorganization as a “step forward” in integrating territorial defense, divisional units, and allied forces under a unified command structure—both in wartime and during peacetime training.