Army trainers deem Georgians ‘combat-ready’
TIBLISI, Georgia – Georgian Army soldiers received a “combat-ready” stamp of approval from U.S. Army trainers here Friday after completing three months of intense training as part of ongoing preparations for an upcoming deployment to Iraq.
Nearly 600 soldiers, members of the Georgian 31st Light Infantry Battalion and 2nd Infantry Brigade Reconnaissance (Recon) Troop, were recognized in a sort of graduation ceremony Sept. 29 at the Krtsanisi Training Area. The battalion is the first of three Georgian light infantry units to be trained by sldiers from the 7th Army Joint Multinational Training Command (JMTC) and Joint Multinational Readiness Center (JMRC) which oversee the current phase of U.S. European Command’s Georgia Support and Sustainment Operations Program (GSSOP).
“Twelve weeks ago my unit started training with the U.S. instructors. Within this period we have mastered combat tactics and acquired lots of skills and experience,” said Senior Lt. Lasha Davitaze, 2nd Infantry Brigade Recon Troop commander, addressing his soldiers massed during the ceremony.
Instructions focused on light-infantry tactics and techniques from squad through company-level, and other specialized training for the battalion’s military police, medical, communications and military intelligence elements. Training also touched on the aspects of providing reconnaissance as well as command and control at the brigade level and above.
“Georgia is an important ally to the United States and an important partner in the Coalition fight against terrorism,” said Lt. Col. Craig Jones, training task force commander, during the ceremony. “… They are well trained, physically tough, disciplined, and ready to deploy to combat”.
Trainers have seen raw Georgian troops develop into a more cohesive and able unit, while their leaders embraced new leadership concepts.
“The leaders of these soldiers have also trained hard and learned many things throughout the training,” Jones explained. “They arrived here with the same five weeks of training as the privates, but demonstrated the leadership potential to be placed in charge and assigned as leaders”.
Composed of hand-picked soldiers, the 2nd Brigade Recon Troop is one of only three such companies in the Georgian Army, making their training and growth that much more critical, according to Maj. Phillip Sounia, JMRC recon team chief.
“Once they learn the right way to do a task, they want to do it perfect every time,” Sounia said. “You can’t beat the type of soldiers they have here.
“They’re completely motivated and hard as rocks. They’re a joy to work with”.
JMTC and JMRC assumed responsibility for the training program from the U.S. Marine Corps this year and will continue through April 2007. |
