Georgia celebrates Army Day with its allies

A wide range of activities involving Georgian Armed Forces (GAF), their British allies and military equipment is taking place today in capital Tbilisi and all over the country to mark Georgian Army Day.

Each year on April 30 the country celebrates the annual Georgian Army Day however this year the occasion was postponed and celebrated as an extension of the May 26 Independence Day festivities.

The full day program marking the national Army Day, organised annually by the Ministry of Defence of Georgia, started this morning at the Old Hippodrome recreational area in Tbilisi’s Saburtalo district.

There visitors can get a close-up view of exhibited military vehicles and watch a parachute show by Georgian and British paratroopers while military orchestras perform.

The show program will also feature military orchestras from Georgia and NATO member states that participated in the Independence Day celebrations. Photo from the Ministry of Defence of Georgia/Facebook.

The public area also encouraged to take part in the events and activities.

Young guests can participate in games adapted from military exercises, have their face painted in camouflage patterns or try their hand at physics and chemistry lab tests.

For sports enthusiasts, well known rugby players will be challenge people in a scrum challenge, while special areas will be set up where the public can have a go at rugby, basketball and airsoft.

Another part of the festivities includes exhibitions of photographs illustrating the 2008 Russia-Georgia war, in addition to a display of paintings by students of Georgia's defence schools.

Rescue and medical staff of the GAF will be on site and offer visitors to take blood tests, have an X-Ray and receive general health advice from specialists. The medical experts will also give first aid demonstrations and teach the public about basic first aid.

People can also learn from mountain rescuers and cyber security experts in today’s celebrations in Tbilisi before the Georgian Army Day celebrations end at 5pm. The event will conclude with a concert involving military orchestras from NATO member states and Georgian military and civilian bands.

Georgia celebrated its national Independence Day yesterday, on May 26. The event was historic as the morning parade featured a GAF Company-sized unit of NATO for the first time in the country's history before a public display of military vehicles and equipment, lots of stalls and public entertainment.