The President of Latvia conferred the highest state decoration to Lt. Col Wade Rutland, Commander of the NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup in Latvia

On Thursday, December 7, President of Latvia Raimonds Vējonis conferred the highest state award, the Order of Viesturs, to Lieutenant-Colonel Wade Rutland, Canadian Armed Forces Officer and Commander of the NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup in Latvia, in the Riga Castle.

On 20 October 2017, the Chapter of Orders awarded the Order of Viesturs, Class IV, and appointed Lieutenant-Colonel Wade Rutland, the Canadian Armed Forces Officer and the Commander of the NATO enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) Battlegroup in Latvia, as the Officer of the Order. The highest state award was bestowed for significant contribution to promoting security and defence of Latvia.