Home Guard troops train near Garkalne to sharpen combat skills

The National Guard's 1st Riga Brigade is conducting military exercises in the Garkalne area of Ropaži municipality, where soldiers are training to respond to various tactical scenarios. The drills take place during both daylight and nighttime hours, covering rural terrain as well as urban settings.

Training goals

The exercises aim to improve units' ability to operate effectively under different conditions, strengthen cooperation and coordination between units, and raise overall readiness for national defense tasks.

Equipment and safety

During the exercises, soldiers will use unmanned aerial vehicles and training ammunition that produces noise but poses no danger to people's life or health. Residents are advised that brief movements of military vehicles may occur on roads in Ropaži municipality.

Continuous training process

Military training within the National Guard runs year-round, involving various tactical tasks in both summer and winter periods. As part of regular scheduled training, soldiers of the 1st Riga Brigade continually develop their skills and strengthen readiness to defend their units' assigned areas.

Any Latvian citizen aged 18 or older with at least B1-level knowledge of the state language and suitable health condition can become a member of the National Guard. Further details on candidate requirements are available on the National Guard's website.