In June 2023 a new open-air exhibition “Combat Outpost” was created at Oskars Kalpaks’ museum.

Oskars Kalpaks’ Museum is a branch of the Latvian War Museum and is dedicated to the memory of the first Commander in Chief of Latvian Armed Forces, Colonel Oskars Kalpaks. 

The latest exposition tells about the service of soldiers of the National Armed Forces during international operations and peacekeeping missions, and is also the largest outdoor replica of a combat outpost in the Baltic States.

The purpose of the open-air exhibition is to tell about the service and daily work of soldiers of the Latvian National Armed Forces participating in international operations and peacekeeping missions.

A combat outpost is any extended, small military-technical structure located away from larger military bases. A combat outpost is used as a base of operations for small units of troops. This type of combat outposts were common in NATO’s international security support forces military operations and peacekeeping missions in Afghanistan and Iraq, in which soldiers of Latvian Armed Forces also participated. Most often, a combat outpost is a small, well-protected military fortification structure, from which soldiers conduct patrols and combat operations. Combat outposts are usually placed close to populated areas, along important roads, their intersections, or in border areas. Combat outposts are created according to their operational objectives and terrain. Most often, sandbag piles are used for the construction of combat outposts. Concrete barriers, barbed wire coils, gates, observation towers, barracks and other military-technical structures necessary for a soldier’s daily work are additionally built to improve the defense functions of the combat outpost.

Memoirs of Latvian soldiers who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, historical photographs, material evidence and new museum acquisitions served as the basis for the historical reconstruction of the combat outpost.

Location: „Airītes”, Zirņu pagasts, Saldus novads (GPS 56.67833, 22.15538), tel. +371 22017465. The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday, from 10 am to 5 pm.