Georgia Train and Equip Program

Last updated

10th Special Forces Group soldier instructing Georgian troops on the dangers of conducting live-fire ambushes and maintaining muzzle control. Georgia Train and Equip Program Pi102502a1.jpg
10th Special Forces Group soldier instructing Georgian troops on the dangers of conducting live-fire ambushes and maintaining muzzle control.

The Georgia Train and Equip Program (GTEP) was an American-sponsored 18-month, $64-million program aimed at increasing the capabilities of the Georgian armed forces by training and equipping four 600-man battalions with light weapons, vehicles and communications. The program enabled the US to expedite funding for the Georgian military for Operation Enduring Freedom. [1]

Contents

On 27 February 2002, the US media reported that the U.S. would send approximately two hundred United States Army Special Forces soldiers to Georgia to train Georgian troops. [2] The program implemented President Bush's decision to respond to the Government of Georgia's request for assistance to enhance its counter-terrorism capabilities and addressed the situation in the Pankisi Gorge. The program was planned to be a 20-month long, $64 million effort. [3]

The move drew protests from many Russians. [4] On 1 March 2002, in response to the domestic outcry, Russian president Vladimir Putin met with Georgian president Eduard Shevardnadze in Kazakhstan and pledged his support for the American military initiative. [5]

The program began in May 2002 when American special forces soldiers of the 10th Special Forces Group began training select units of the Georgian Armed Forces, including the 12th Commando Light Infantry Battalion, the 16th Mountain-Infantry Battalion, the 13th "Shavnabada" Light Infantry Battalion, the 11th Light Infantry Battalion, a mechanized company, and small numbers of Interior Ministry troops and border guards. [6] The goal of the program was to boost the proficiency of Georgia's security forces in areas including border security, anti-terrorism, disaster response. [7]

Responsibility for training Georgian forces was eventually handed off to the U.S. Marine Corps in conjunction with the British Army. British and American teams worked as part of a joint effort to train each of the four infantry battalion staffs and their organic rifle companies. This training began with the individual soldier and continued through fire team, squad, platoon, company, and battalion level tactics as well as staff planning and organization. Upon completing training, each of the new Georgian infantry battalions began preparing for deployment rotations in support of the Global War on Terrorism. [8] As part of the program Georgian troops were issued new uniforms, boots, weapons, and other articles of equipment. [9]

Although GTEP formally ended in April 2004, US military assistance to Georgia continued through the Georgia Sustainment and Stability Operations Program. Part of this program involved preparing Georgian units for operations in US-led Multinational Force Iraq. That program ended in September 2007.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Defence Forces of Georgia</span> Combined military forces of Georgia

The Defence Forces of Georgia, or Georgian Defence Forces (GDF), are the combined military forces of Georgia, tasked with the defence of the nation's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. They consist of the Land Force, Air Force, National Guard, and Special Operations Forces. The Defence Forces are under overall leadership of the Minister of Defence of Georgia and directly headed by the Chief of Defence Forces.

The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consist of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. All six armed services are among the eight uniformed services of the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">10th Mountain Division</span> Combat formation of the United States Army

The 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) is an elite light infantry division in the United States Army based at Fort Drum, New York. Formerly designated as a mountain warfare unit, the division was the only one of its size in the US military to receive specialized training for fighting in mountainous conditions. More recently, the 10th Mountain has been conducting operations in Iraq and Syria advising and assisting Iraqi Security Forces and People's Defense Units, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Army Special Operations Command</span> Army component of the U.S. Special Operations Command

The United States Army Special Operations Command (Airborne) (USASOC ( YOO-sə-sok)) is the command charged with overseeing the various special operations forces of the United States Army. Headquartered at Fort Liberty, North Carolina, it is the largest component of the United States Special Operations Command. It is an Army Service Component Command. Its mission is to organize, train, educate, man, equip, fund, administer, mobilize, deploy and sustain Army special operations forces to successfully conduct worldwide special operations.

<i>Gebirgsjäger</i> Light infantry of alpine or mountain troops of Germany and Austria

Gebirgsjäger are the light infantry part of the alpine or mountain troops (Gebirgstruppe) of Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The word Jäger is a characteristic term used for light infantry in German speaking countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sissi (Finnish light infantry)</span> Military unit

Sissi is a Finnish term for light infantry which conducts reconnaissance, sabotage and guerrilla warfare operations behind enemy lines. The word sissi, first attested in the modern meaning "patrolman, partisan, spy" in 1787, comes to Finnish from Slavic and refers either to a forest bandit or his yew bow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Special Operation Forces (Jordan)</span> Military unit

King Abdullah II Special Forces Group, commonly known as the JORSOF are strategic-level special forces of the Royal Jordanian Army under the Jordanian Armed Forces. Founded on April 15, 1963, on the orders of the late King Hussein, its primary roles include reconnaissance, counter-terrorism, search and evacuation, intelligence gathering combat, and the protection of key sites. The Special Forces Group are also charged with carrying out precision strikes against critical enemy targets. The unit is equipped and trained to be able to operate behind enemy lines for long periods without any logistical support, and is considered some of the best in the Middle East.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgia Sustainment and Stability Operations Program</span>

The Georgia Sustainment and Stability Operations Program (GSSOP) was a security assistance program designed to create an increased capability in the Georgian military to support Operation Iraqi Freedom stability missions. Launched in January 2005, GSSOP was also designed to help solidify the progress made during the Georgia Train and Equip Program (GTEP) of 2002–2004 and continue to assist in the implementation of western standards in the Georgian armed forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">325th Infantry Regiment (United States)</span> US Army unit

The 325th Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division. The regiment serves as the 82nd Airborne's light infantry parachute insertion fighting force of the United States Army, with a long and distinguished history, having taken part in World War I, World War II, the Vietnam War, the invasions of Grenada and Panama, as well as the Gulf and Iraq Wars. The subordinate units of the regiment constitute the bulk of the infantry elements assigned to the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Light Reaction Regiment</span> Philippine Army counter-terrorist unit

The Light Reaction Regiment is the premier counter-terrorist unit of the Philippine Army. It was formerly known as the Light Reaction Battalion and Light Reaction Company. Due to its specialization in counter-terrorism operations and its formation with the assistance of American advisers, the Light Reaction Regiment has been sometimes referred to as the Philippines' Delta Force.

Special Forces of Zimbabwe are the units of the Zimbabwe National Army that operate as special forces. These forces have been deployed in several African conflicts, including the Mozambique Civil War and the Second Congo War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1st Special Forces Group (United States)</span> Military unit

The 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) (1st SFG) (A) is a unit of the U.S. Army Special Forces operating under the United States Pacific Command. It is designed to deploy and execute nine doctrinal missions throughout the Indo-Pacific Command area of operations: unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, direct action, counter-insurgency, special reconnaissance, counter-terrorism, information operations, counterproliferation of weapon of mass destruction, and security force assistance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Army Sniper School</span> Military unit

The U.S. Army Sniper Course trains selected military members assigned to sniper positions in the skills necessary to deliver long-range precision fire and the collection of battlefield information. Students will receive training in fieldcraft skills, advanced camouflage techniques, concealed movement, target detection, range estimation, terrain utilization, intelligence preparation of the battlefield (IPB), relevant reporting procedures, sniper tactics, advanced marksmanship, and staff subjects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">13th "Shavnabada" Light Infantry Battalion</span> Military unit

The 13th "Shavnabada" Light Infantry Battalion also known as the 13th Light Infantry Battalion is a military unit within the Georgian Armed Forces, so named for a type of cloak worn by medieval warriors. The most famous cloak is said to have worn by the patron saint of Georgia, Saint George, when he, according to a legend, appeared to lead Georgian army to a victory. The battalion's crest includes the word "Shavnabada" in Georgian, the battalion's symbol, the Griffin, and the number "13".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">45th Guards Spetsnaz Brigade</span> Russian Airborne Troops unit

The 45th Guards Spetsnaz Detached Brigade is a special reconnaissance and special operations military unit of the Russian Airborne Troops (VDV), based near Moscow. It was formed in 1994 as the 45th Independent Spetsnaz Regiment, and expanded to a brigade in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgian Land Forces</span> Military unit

The Georgian Land Forces are the land force component of the Defense Forces of Georgia. They are the largest branch of the military and constitute the bulk of the DFG.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa</span> Military unit

U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa(SETAF-AF), is the United States Army service component command of United States Africa Command, and is headquartered at Caserma Ederle and Caserma Del Din, Vicenza, Italy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgian Special Operations Forces</span> Military unit

The Georgian Special Operations Forces (GSOF) are the special operations forces component of the Defense Forces of Georgia. They have been established to conduct special operations, special-and long range reconnaissance, military counter intelligence, counter terrorism, counter insurgency, amphibious and asymmetric warfare in and outside Georgia.

A train-and-equip program is a military operation in which one country provides training and equipment to an ally. The practice typically involves the transfer of expertise and materiel from a stronger military to a weaker one, as an alternative to fighting together outright. The United States military has run several train-and-equip programs in recent military history.

References

  1. "Helping Georgia?". Institute for the Study of Conflict, Ideology and Policy. Boston University. March–April 2002. Retrieved 14 February 2007.
  2. Associated Press (20 May 2002). "Green Berets Land in Georgia For 2-Year Training Program". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
  3. "Georgia Train and Equip Program (GTEP)". www.globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  4. Near Abroad: Putin, the West and the Contest over Ukraine and the Caucasus - A Cause in the Caucasus- "Predictably the sight of U.S. soldiers (originally 10th Special Forces Group but later U.S. Marines tasked through European Command) training in Georgia caused an outcry in Russia among great power and revisionist factions"
  5. Putin would back U.S.-led operation in Georgia - Associated Press via Topeka Central Journal Saturday, 2 March 2002 http://cjonline.com/stories/030202/ter_georgia.shtml#.WlZzN1SnHcs
  6. "Patterns of Global Terrorism 2003". US Department of State. 29 April 2004. Retrieved 14 January 2007.
  7. State.gov Georgia Train and Equip Program (GTEP) 1 February 2003 https://2001-2009.state.gov/r/pa/ei/pix/b/eur/18737.htm
  8. Liklikadze, Koba (10 September 2007). "Iraq: As Third-Largest Contingent, Georgia Hopes To Show Its Worth". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Retrieved 16 June 2013.
  9. GTEP-Georgia Train and Equip , retrieved 26 March 2024