Lt. Col. Valts Āboliņš

Instructor, NATO Land Component

Email: [email protected]

Telephone: 372 717 6039

Office: Room

Biography

In 1993, Lt. Col. Āboliņš joined Latvian Armed Forces as a conscript. After one and a half years’ service, he understood that military service was well-suited to him. In 1995, after compulsory service, he joined the Latvian National Defence Academy, graduating in 1997. Since then he has fulfilled various positions on platoon and company levels. He has also been a tactics instructor at the National Defence Academy, Chief of the Tactics Simulation Centre and Chief of the Junior Staff Officers Course.

In 2004, he was chosen to be Aid de Camp to the President of the Republic of Latvia and served in this role until 2007, when he joined the Land Forces Infantry Brigade as Chief of the Planning Section (G3). In 2008, he was appointed as 1st Infantry Battalion 2IC and was deployed to Afghanistan in 2009 as Deputy Commander of the Provincial Reconstruction Team Maymana. From 2010 until 2012, he served as Commander of the 1st Infantry battalion.

Lt. Col. Āboliņš holds an B.A. in Pedagogy from the Latvian National Defence Academy and an M.A. in Pedagogy from the University of Latvia. His dissertation focused on the psychological aspects of soldiers’ friendship. He also attended the Senior Staff Officers Course in 2002 at the Baltic Defence College.