Ministry of Defence of Georgia
March 21, 2014
U.S. Experts Group’s Visit
Caring of wounded military servicemen is one of the priorities of Defence Ministry of Georgia. On this purpose, the U.S. experts’ group working on wounded warriors program visited Georgia. Deputy Defence Minister Vako Avaliani hosted the members of the U.S. delegation.
The sides discussed the development of rehabilitation wounded warriors program. Vako Avaliani introduced the guests support program for the Georgian military servicemen wounded in August War 2008 and ISAF mission. Wounded military are ongoing the prosthesis program with the expenses of Defence Ministry in Peter Harsch Prosthetics Clinic, San Diego, California, USA.
Within the visit to Georgia, the U.S. experts held meeting with the wounded warriors’ program working group. Special attention was paid to the rehabilitation and equipment of Rehabilitation Center located on Kedia Street, Tbilisi. According to the project, carried out with financial and material support of the USA, the Center will be operational by August 2016. At the meeting the sides discussed the technical details as well.
The program envisages institutionalization of treatment and rehabilitation process throughout Georgia including NDA, Rehabilitation Centers on Kedia Street and in Tserovani.
On the sidelines of the visit to Georgia, the U.S. experts’ group took a tour around the Rehabilitation Centers and NDA.
Head of Prosthesis Center of Walter Ride Military-Medical Center, Dr. Scoville, as well as the representative of J-4 Directorate of EUCOM, Col. Michel Harzel and the representatives of U.S. Army engineering corps and DoD were the members of the U.S. delegation.
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Ministry of Defence of Georgia
March 20, 2014
Departure ceremony for the Georgian military deploying to Afghanistan
The military servicemen of Georgian Armed Forces are ready to deploy to Afghanistan. Today, a departure ceremony was organized at the Vaziani military base of IV Mechanized Brigade for the military personnel of 23rd Battalion of II Infantry Brigade, Mountain-Intelligence Battalion and Reinforced Platoon of 13th Battalion of I Infantry Brigade going to serve in the ISAF mission.
Minister of Defence of Georgia Irakli Alasania, Chief of the GS of GAF Major-General Vakhtang Kapanadze and Lieutenant General Richard T. Tryon Commander of US Marine Corps Forces Command attended the ceremony. Among the invited guests were Ambassador of the United States to Georgia Richard Norland, NATO Military Liaison Officer Colonel Maximilian Eder and top brass of GAF.
Irakli Alasania addressed the Georgian soldiers and wished them peaceful return to Georgia. “Combat preparedness and experience of both battalions are at the highest level. According to the evaluation of our U.S partners, all the components of the operational readiness of our soldiers are in place. I hope that our troops will perform the mission professionally and return to their families safe and healthy. Our army has already entered NATO. They are providing a huge contribution on Georgia`s way to Euro-Atlantic integration and I believe that their high combat preparedness and efforts will become the main factors for Georgia`s accession into NATO,”-underlined Minister of Defence Irakli Alasania.
Lieutenant-General Richard Tryon also delivered speech for the Georgian military-“I am here today for the departure ceremony of the 23rd Light Infantry Battalion and Special Mountain Battalion as they have completed the training and prepare to depart for Afghanistan. I want to offer my congratulations to the Georgian Armed Forces, to the Minister of Defence, to the Chief of General Staff for the support and resourses to help train and prepare these soldiers for the mission ahead in Afghanistan. U.S. Marines have trained, served and sacrificed with our Georgian brothers in Afghanistan since 2009. We proudly serve with Georgia in any claim in place.”
The military personnel and invited guests paid tribute to the memory of the Georgian warriors who died in action in fight for territorial integrity of Georgia and while performing international missions. Military orchestra performed the State Anthem of Georgia.
23rd Battalion will rotate 31st Battalion of III Infantry Brigade at the military camp “Leatherneck”. This Battalion takes part in the mission for the second time. The Battalion personnel were first deployed to Afghanistan in 2012 and came back home without casualties. Reinforced Platoon staffed by the 13th Battalion military will deploy to the camp “Phoenix” under the command of the US forces. Mountain-Intelligence Battalion will serve in Kandahar province for 6 months.
The Battalion personnel getting ready for deployment to Afghanistan underwent intensive preparation in National Training Centre “Krtsanisi” under the guidance of US Marine Expeditionary Brigade. The military servicemen also went through a training course in the German city Hohenfels in the Joint Multinational Readiness Centre (JMRC).
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Ministry of Defence of Georgia
March 20, 2014
Departure ceremony for the Georgian military deploying to Afghanistan
The military servicemen of Georgian Armed Forces are ready to deploy to Afghanistan. Today, a departure ceremony was organized at the Vaziani military base of IV Mechanized Brigade for the military personnel of 23rd Battalion of II Infantry Brigade, Mountain-Intelligence Battalion and Reinforced Platoon of 13th Battalion of I Infantry Brigade going to serve in the ISAF mission.
Minister of Defence of Georgia Irakli Alasania, Chief of the GS of GAF Major-General Vakhtang Kapanadze and Lieutenant General Richard T. Tryon Commander of US Marine Corps Forces Command attended the ceremony. Among the invited guests were Ambassador of the United States to Georgia Richard Norland, NATO Military Liaison Officer Colonel Maximilian Eder and top brass of GAF.
Irakli Alasania addressed the Georgian soldiers and wished them peaceful return to Georgia. “Combat preparedness and experience of both battalions are at the highest level. According to the evaluation of our U.S partners, all the components of the operational readiness of our soldiers are in place. I hope that our troops will perform the mission professionally and return to their families safe and healthy. Our army has already entered NATO. They are providing a huge contribution on Georgia`s way to Euro-Atlantic integration and I believe that their high combat preparedness and efforts will become the main factors for Georgia`s accession into NATO,”-underlined Minister of Defence Irakli Alasania.
Lieutenant-General Richard Tryon also delivered speech for the Georgian military: “I am here today for the departure ceremony of the 23rd Light Infantry Battalion and Special Mountain Battalion as they have completed the training and prepare to depart for Afghanistan. I want to offer my congratulations to the Georgian Armed Forces, to the Minister of Defence, to the Chief of General Staff for the support and resources to help train and prepare these soldiers for the mission ahead in Afghanistan. U.S. Marines have trained, served and sacrificed with our Georgian brothers in Afghanistan since 2009. We proudly serve with Georgia in any claim in place.”
The military personnel and invited guests paid tribute to the memory of the Georgian warriors who died in action in fight for territorial integrity of Georgia and while performing international missions. Military orchestra performed the State Anthem of Georgia.
23rd Battalion will rotate 31st Battalion of III Infantry Brigade at the military camp “Leatherneck”. This Battalion takes part in the mission for the second time. The Battalion personnel were first deployed to Afghanistan in 2012 and came back home without casualties. Reinforced Platoon staffed by the 13th Battalion military will deploy to the camp “Phoenix” under the command of the US forces. Mountain-Intelligence Battalion will serve in Kandahar province for 6 months.
The Battalion personnel getting ready for deployment to Afghanistan underwent intensive preparation in National Training Centre “Krtsanisi” under the guidance of US Marine Expeditionary Brigade. The military servicemen also went through a training course in the German city Hohenfels in the Joint Multinational Readiness Centre (JMRC).
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