Civil resilience starts with understanding that civil society must be protected and that freedom must be fought for. When your home is invaded, you must be prepared to act, not wait for someone to save you. As Ukraine faces relentless Russian aggression, neighbors like Lithuania are watching closely to prepare for what they could face next.

Ukraine’s Territorial Defense Forces (TDF) were officially activated at the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. On February 24, 2022, people from all walks of life — farmers, businesspeople, journalists, and more — put their lives on hold, and on the line, to defend their country. Within a month, over 100,000 men and women had joined; only 3% had prior military experience. 

After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Lithuanian Riflemen’s Union nearly doubled in size (Photo by Lietuvos šaulių sąjunga Lithuanian Riflemen’s Union Facebook).

When the TDF identified thousands of unused, inoperable, Soviet-era trucks, Spirit of America funded their repair and redeployment to the frontlines. We provided critical startup funding to the TDF’s Captain’s Career Course to train hundreds of combat-credible leaders to reduce casualties on the front lines — impacting an estimated 90,000 soldiers. We also funded 12 mobile combat showers for the TDF to use and tow into vulnerable communities for civilians without access to electricity or running water.

Scaling readiness across Lithuania: From lifesaving aid to long-term deterrence

Like Ukraine’s Territorial Defense Forces, the Lithuanian Riflemen’s Union (LRU) saw a rapid increase in volunteers immediately following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, nearly doubling in size as thousands of civilians joined. Similar to the TDF, the LRU is made up of people from all walks of life — CEOs, architects, bakers, teachers, nurses, factory workers, surgeons, and government leaders — who are ready to step forward in defense of their country.

The Lithuanian Riflemen’s Union Commando Course, supported by Spirit of America, strengthens regional security in NATO’s Eastern Flank (Photo by Lietuvos šaulių sąjunga Lithuanian Riflemen’s Union Facebook).

Taking lessons from the war and our work supporting Ukrainian civil defense, Spirit of America is working with our U.S. military partners to build on that capability to fill gaps and strengthen security on NATO’s Eastern flank in ways that U.S. government can’t.

In January, Spirit of America delivered nearly $80,000 in Tactical Combat Casualty Care supplies to the Lithuanian Riflemen’s Union. The supplies supported advanced training and were distributed across all 10 LRU districts nationwide, strengthening lifesaving medical readiness among the organization’s 18,000 volunteer members.

The Commando Course will empower Lithuania’s combat credible resistance force to triple to 50,000 by 2030 (Photo by Lietuvos šaulių sąjunga Lithuanian Riflemen’s Union Facebook).

Based on that success and the desire to expand resistance capabilities in the region, the U.S. Army identified a need to expand support by funding a Commando Course for the Lithuanian Rifleman’s Union. The course builds off previous projects and the partner force’s enthusiasm, focused on standardizing skills across the union and certifying a cadre of instructors who will continue to teach volunteers at sites across the country. Training directly impacts a volunteer’s readiness and a nation’s unified civil defense. It leads to better decision-making and fewer lives lost when it matters most.

“Without Spirit of America’s help, this course would not be what it has now become.”

– U.S. Army Advisor 

With the first of three pilot courses already complete, this program will empower Lithuania’s combat credible resistance force to triple to 50,000 by 2030. It will spread advanced capabilities and knowledge across Lithuania and make a strategic difference along NATO’s Eastern Flank deterrence line. This effort isn’t isolated, as our partners already have plans to involve Latvian volunteers in the next version of the Commando Course this fall. This shows that our support is helping scale regional resilience, enabling partner nations to share capabilities and build a stronger, more unified line of defense. 

Allies united in defending freedom

Like Ukrainians, Lithuanians know the cost of Russian occupation. Today, they are preparing to prevent it through a shared “whole of society” approach that puts national resilience in the hands of their people — recognizing that security begins with an engaged and prepared population. Spirit of America is proud to support strategic allies to defend freedom, strengthen security, and save and improve lives. Learn how you can get involved.