Approximately 500 service members gathered for the commencement ceremony of Operation Summer Shield XII at Adazi Military Base, Latvia on March 22, 2015. Service members representing numerous nations were present to witness remarks from Col. Martins Liberts, commander of the Latvian National Armed Forces, Land Forces/Infantry Brigade and special guest Gen. Hans-Lothar Domrose, Commander Joint Force Command Brunssum. This year’s event includes a 10-day evolving training process during which partner forces from the U.S., Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Germany, Canada and the United Kingdom will work alongside one another in combined arms and live-fire maneuvers. Operations like OSS XII provide great platforms to expand the involvement of U.S. troops in the region improving interoperability and confidence among NATO allies. (U.S. Army photoBy Sgt. Aaron Ellerman 204th Public Affairs Detachment/Released)