Georgian peacekeeping troops run drills in Afghanistan

Georgian troops serving in the international peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan are honing their skills by training personnel in evacuation and security actions.

Under NATO’s Resolute Support mission, a company-sized unit of the Georgian Armed Forces was involved in a mock-up scenario at the Bagram Air Base earlier today.

Working with platoon-sized units from reconnaissance and Guards forces, B Company, 23rd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Brigade held a planned exercise based on a notional scenario at the base.

The scenario involved an 'attack' on checkpoint during personal search. Photo: Georgia’s Defence Ministry press office.

Developed by Georgian peacekeepers, the scenario involved medical evacuation of 'injured' civilians and troops during a theoretical suicide attack at a checkpoint.

The involved service members reacted to the incident, secured the area of the notional attack, dispatched rescue personnel and evacuated the 'casualties' from the scene.

A service member looks out from an armoured vehicle to survey the scene of 'attack'. Photo: Georgia’s Defence Ministry press office.

The troops used mechanised support from their vehicles to provide security at the checkpoint during the evacuation.

The Ministry of Defence of Georgia said exercise was part of an ongoing series of drills serving to improve personnel performance for evacuation, quick reaction and "other security elements”.

Georgian personnel carry an 'injured' colleague during the exercise. Photo: Georgia’s Defence Ministry press office.

The battalion departed for their planned rotation in the Resolute Support mission earlier this year.

They replaced the 32nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Brigade as part of the periodic rotation system adopted by the Georgian military for its units serving in Afghanistan.

Troops and supporting armoured vehicles photographed during the drill. Photo: Georgia’s Defence Ministry press office.

Before their send-off to Afghanistan the battalion troops underwent mission preparation in Georgia and a final exercise at Unites States Army’s Joint Multinational Readiness Centre in Hohenfels, Germany.

The 23rd Battalion unit is tasked with providing outer and inner security for the Bagram Air Base, the largest US military base in Afghanistan.