Georgia is ready to join NATO Response Force
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A Georgian military unit has undergone more than a year of intensive training and is now ready to join the.NATO Response Force (NRF).
Company 'Alfa' of the 12th Battalion of the 1st Infantry Brigade of the Georgian Armed Forces (GAF) completed a demonstration exercise at the Vaziani firing range - one of their final exercises in a 16 month training.
An observer group composed of members of the Georgian military assessed the soldiers' level of preparedness as they completed the training exercise. The preliminary assessment of the National Assessment Group noted the soldiers had successfully accomplished their objective and were now task interoperable with NATO units.
Deputy Chief of General Staff of the GAF Colonel Roman Jokhadze, Commander of the Eastern Command of the Land Forces Colonel Alexandre Kiknadze, Commander of the I Infantry Brigade Colonel Giorgi Shengelia, members of the National Assessment Group and representatives of the Office of Defence and Cooperation (ODC) attended the final exercise.
Since August 2013 the Georgian military unit underwent special trainings in Georgia and Germany to prepare them for the NRC. The trainings in Hohenfels, Germany, were conducted in the framework of thr NATO Operational Capabilities Concept. Evaluation of the Georgian servicemen was carried out in the United States Joint Multinational Command Training Center.
Prior to Germany, the company underwent intensive training in Georgia. Over 10 months they underwent training in protection, clearing, cordon; convoy, as well as search and rescue operations.
Georgia has joined a NATO rapid reaction force made up of highly trained and technologically advanced multinational troops, tasked to defend any ally and deploy anywhere in the world to combat threats.
A second Georgian military unit has moved one step closer to becoming part of an elite NATO rapid reaction force, tasked to respond to security threats to the Alliance’s member states at a moment’s notice.
One hundred Georgian soldiers are on track to join the NATO Response Force (NRF) as they have already successfully passed the initial level of training.
Georgia’s Defence Ministry has held a farewell ceremony for Georgian soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Brigade of the 31st Battalion who are leaving for Afghanistan on a peacekeeping mission.