DOLPHINS TAKE CENTER STAGE

Sharon Erli, 445th Airlift Wing Public Affairs writer, reported on a very special journey to Lithuania. The following excerpt from her article appeared in the July 31st, 1998 Airlift Wing newsletter.

Tacoma and Wenatchee spent hours talking to each other. Their high-pitched musical chatter was heard most of the night.

"They're reassuring each other, letting each know there's a friend close by," explained Spc. Cheryl Short, an Army veterinary technician.

Tacoma, Wenatchee and three other dolphins - Cinder, Spetsnaz, and Punane - flew approximately 14 hours July 9 on board an Air Force Reserve Command C-141 Starlifter to participate in Baltic Challenge '98, a joint land, sea and air exercise conducted in the spirit of the Partnership for Peace program in Lithuania.

The "teenagers", as they were fondly referred to by some of their handlers, are Mark Seven Marine Mammal System bottle-nosed dolphins from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit Three based in Coronado, Calif.

The C-141 crew from Wright-Patterson's 445th Airlift Wing flew to Naval Air Station North Island, Calif., July 8 to pick up the dolphins, their handlers and veterinarians.

After a refueling stop the next day in Bangor, Maine, the flight continued nonstop to Palanga International Airport, Lithuania, where the mammals participated in a military exercise involving the United States and 11 European nations.

During the exercise, the dolphins located and marked mines on the floor of the Baltic Sea, either resting on the sea bed or buried in the sediment. This was the first time the dolphins had an opportunity to find live ordnance, which may have been left behind from World War II.

Capt. Steve Griffin, 356th Airlift Squadron, and a 356th AS crew returned to Lithuania July 19 to fly the dolphins back home to California the next day.

In the Lithuanian Marine Museum's dolphinarium in Klaipeda, two dolphins - Gabi and Gloria - gave birth to dolphin kids in mid-September. The kids are closely watched because only 30 percent of captive dolphins survive. With the attentive watch and excellent living conditions, it is hopeful that the new dolphin kids will thrive in Lithuania.

BRAZAUSKAS ABOUT TO AUTHOR BOOK

Lithuania's former president, Algirdas Brazauskas, announced that he was writing a book about his presidency, according to Lithuanian newspaper Respublika.

Brazauskas said he believed that those five years in the presidential post had not been spent in vain - either for the state or for the president himself.

"I want to write a book with the help of others. I am not a professional writer. The work has been started. I am writing some parts about my presidency myself," said the former president.

Asked about his future plans, Brazauskas stated that he planned to go to Oxford University in mid-November.

LITHUANIA COMES TO KALININGRAD'S AID

The Russian crisis has started to affect Kaliningrad (Karaliauciai) enclave's hospitals and medical institutions.

Although Lithuania's neighbor claims their situation is under control, they are highly dependent on imports to be truly prepared for the winter. The first area affected by the crisis has been with medicines and medical supplies.

In response to several requests for humanitarian aid from Kaliningrad hospitals and institutions, Lithuania sent its diplomats on a humanitarian aid mission to ascertain the reality of the situation. The Lithuanian Foreign Ministry's Policy Dept. Director, Vygaudas Usackas, said they were motivated by the fact that Kaliningrad is a close neighbor and, as a nation presiding over the Baltic Sea States Council, to maintain stability in the whole region.

Aid consisting of antibiotics, anti-tuberculosis and anti-inflammation medicines, solutions for intravenous infusion, syringes and dressing materials was delivered first. Another aid consignment will be made up as soon as Kaliningrad's Health Board and Doctors' Association submits a more precise list of what is most needed. The Lithuania-based mission, Berlin Chemie Menarini Baltic Co. prepared the package in association with the Lithuanian government.

LITHUANIA AIMS FOR A BALANCED BUDGET

The Lithuanian government started discussions about next year's budget plan. It was decided that Lithuania should save about one billion litas ($250 million U.S.) or ten percent of the national budget expenditure if it wants to have a balanced budget.

State expenditures would be severely restricted next year, according to Lithuanian Prime Minister Gediminas Vagnorius. He continued that the state would start to save by "freezing" its own expenditures, which are to be reduced to 2.9 percent of the total budget expenditures next year, down from 3.1 percent this year.

The 1999 budget plan foresees the national budget income to grow by 14 percent as compared to this year. Revenues of municipal budgets should soar by 29 percent; while, the state budget income is to grow by six percent. The primary budget draft plans for higher defense expenditures by 27 percent.

Although the official 1999 budget draft is to be announced in detail by October, the Prime Minister already stressed that next year's budget expenditures should be better-grounded instead of being based on the previous year's experience.

LITHUANIA AT WORLD HEALTH SESSION

A Lithuanian delegation participated in the European region's 48th session of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Copenhagen from Sept. 14th to the 18th. Lithuania acceded to the World Health Organization as a full member on November 25th, 1991. Fifty nations, among them Lithuania, belong to the WHO European region.

The Lithuanian team was represented by Health Minister Mindaugas Stankevicius, Vice-Minister Prof. Vytautas Basys, and the Rector of Kaunas Medical Academy Vilius Grabauskas.

The 48th session elected Prof. Grabauskas, chairman of the European region's standing committee, as the session's president. The Lithuanian scientist was the first representative from any post-Communist country to undertake these presidential duties at a WHO European region's session.

"Health for everybody in the 21st century", was a major topic for discussion which became confirmed for strategy and policy initiation.

- Source for Current Events articles: The ELTA News Agency