Georgia celebrates Armed Forces Day

The sacrifices made by Georgian servicemen are being recognized today as the country marks the Georgian Army’s 24^thanniversary.

Today is Georgian Armed Forces Day and several events are being held around the country to recognise all current and past military representatives who served their country either in battle or behind the scenes.

A solemn ceremony is currently underway at the Army’s training ground in Tbilisi where Georgia’s Defence Minister Mindia Janelidze and Chief of General Staff of the Georgian Armed Forces, Major General Vakhtang Kapanadze addressed military personnel and presented awards to several successful servicemen.

Georgian military personnel are celebrating Armed Forces Day.

You are standing to defend your country. This is a great honour but a great responsibility at the same time, which you are honestly fulfilling,” said Janelidze in his address.

It is the duty of all of us to dedicate each day in the Georgian Armed Forces to our country, to our homeland and to the development of the Armed Forces because it a great honour and privilege. Therefore, we should give each minute to strengthening and developing our army and our country,” he said.

Once the ceremony ends, Defence Minister Janelidze and Major General Kapanadze will visit the Ministry of Defence’s Command Centre and congratulate all military units in Georgia and those serving in the Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan, on Armed Forces Day and all that it represented.

Georgian military personnel are celebrating Armed Forces Day.

This afternoon, the two Defence officials will go to the Shindisi Memorial and meet the family members of the Georgian heroes who died in the Shindisi battle.

Representatives of the Defence Ministry will plant 17 cypress and other decorative plants around the memorial with the heroes’ family members in honour of the fallen.

Meanwhile all military bases in Georgia are hosting an Open Door Day, in which family members of the military servicemen will congratulate the soldiers on Armed Forces Day, view the military base and learn more about their role as servicemen.

This evening, a concert dedicated to the Georgian Armed Forces will conclude today’s commemorative events where the Military Band of the National Guard will play compositions by Georgian and foreign composers.

Following the concert, representatives of Georgia’s executive and legislative bodies, diplomatic corps, NGOs, Armed Forces and members of the Union of Friends of the Armed Forces are invited to attend a special reception in honour of Armed Forces Day.

In December 1990, the National Guard was established according to a Resolution of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Georgia. On April 24, 1991, Georgia’s Cabinet Ministers issued a decree to recruit the country’s youth for compulsory military service. Conscription into the Army officially launched on April 30 of that year.