The state flag of the Czech Republic was symbolically handed to Lieutenant Martin Dřímalka on January 26, 2021, during a small ceremony at the military base in Adaži. Colonel Sandris Gaugers, the Commander of the Latvian Mechanized Brigade, was leading the ceremony and he thanked the members of the 5th Task Force for their work and wished them a happy reunion with their families. At the same time, he awarded some of the Czech soldiers with the Cross of Merit of the Latvian Armed Forces.

The Fifth Task Force was operating in Latvia under NATO Enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) for almost seven months. During this time, the unit completed a number of exercises within the international eFP Battle Group, which operates in Latvia under the leadership of Canada.

The Czech contingent in Latvia is co-responsible for artillery support of maneuver units, with mortars of 120 mm caliber. While the 5th Task Force consisted mainly of soldiers of the 44th Light Motorized Battalion Jindřichův Hradec, members of the 72nd Mechanized Battalion Přáslavice are now in charge of the mortar support.

The Embassy of the Czech Republic thanks the departing Captain Pudil and his team for their cooperation in the last months, however it was complicated due to the pandemic situation. Despite the unfavorable conditions, we were able to organize several joint events and meet regularly to discuss current issues. We look forward to further cooperation with the 6th Task Force ACR Latvia.