“Pipers have always been warriors who lead into battle,” says Private Taige Schomburg, the Canadian official piper of NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup Latvia.

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Private Taige Schomburg is the official piper for the enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup Latvia. Bagpipes and pipers have been linked to the military for hundreds of years, whether leading troops into battle or honouring the fallen at funerals. Canada has a rich history of military pipers, including piper James Cleland Richardson who was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions during the First World War.

Footage includes Private Taige Schomburg playing his bagpipes along Latvia’s frozen coastline.