Authors:
Kuckailis, Ernestas Published in: Kaunas
Published on: 2012
Publisher: Vox Altera
“I dedicate this book to an army unit, which was the first who went to missions in Afghanistan after Lithuanian army recovery – squadron “Eagle-02” “ – these are the first words of the author in the beginning of the book. Ernestas Kuckailis is one of the first restored Lithuanian National Defence volunteers, who came to serve the country when no one was sure how everything’s going to end, and the probability to lay head for Lithuania was perceived as an inevitability.
Memorial book “„The flight of three colored eagle” tells true stories of lithuanian soldiers experiences of the first mission in Afghanistan in 2002 – 2003. Squadron in Afghanistan showed up after September 11 attacks when everything was still hot. At that moment E. Kuckailis didn’t serve in special forces and worked as Jaeger instructor. In the book the story is told right from the invitation to go to a country which has suffered from Soviet Russian, preparation, emotions, simple life details, humanity, operations to missions ending and it’s footprints left for whole life.
Why namely Afghanistan crosses historical lines and hard power interests? This country because of its geographical situation is strategical Asian continental place. When Britain took India, and Russia continuously seized new land in Middle East, both empires interests clashed right in Afghanistan. Poet, philosopher and politician Mohhamed Iqbal in 1936 said: “Asia can be compared to an alive body, made from earth and water. The beating heart in this body is Afghanistan. The destruction of Afghans would be whole Asias destruction. And its progress and well-being is whole Asias whole-being”.
This book has no “Hollywood” scenes or many battles, but it has a lot of important things like what is special forces soldiers everyday life and what are the nightmares they experienced? What country is Afghanistan? What people living in there are like?
Probably the most special moment in this book – patrolling in the mountains, when there is nowhere to hide – if you fall to an enemy’s ambush, you would fall to a trap/deadlock. Lithuanian soldiers drove through such roads, which other countries soldiers didn’t dare to travel. Snow and perishing cold high in the mountains, hotness and sand in land lowness – it is very little to what soldiers experienced.
“The flight of three colored eagle\” shows in details why and how Lithuanian soldiers earned respect between one of the biggest and important countries. Only after this mission “Eagle-02” was very well responded by the USA National Military command center director deputy Michael Shields: “The first Lithuanian squadron was tough, strict, versed and proficient in adjustment and became an example for other Lithuanian special forces replacaments”.