Lieutenant Colonel Wege, MNC NE’s OLRT Team Leader highlighted that “it is crucial to perform such deployment in order to train all the necessary procedures”. LTC Wege also added that this OLRT deployment was unique because it also supported a critical yet usual evaluation of the NATO Force Integration Unit Latvia. “It was very successful. NFIU is highly prepared for various tasks they might receive. They have delivered data required by our team and what is also important they are deeply embedded in the national [Latvian] Joint Headquarters”.

OLRT travelled around the country and completed a series of recces of air ports, roads and infrastructure. Team inspected Pauls Stradins Clinical University Hospital which is one of the largest University Hospitals among the Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Being such it enables significant support to NATO units in Latvia and the whole region.

Lieutenant Colonel Salmon, of MNC NE’s J9 (Civil-Military Co-operation Division) concluded that OLRT deployment [is about] “having face to face contact with Latvian decision makers on the civil side which is necessary to deepen trust and to foster working relations.”