It has been suggested that this article be merged into Georgian involvement in the Iraq War . (Discuss) Proposed since August 2024. |
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]
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.
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 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, also officially known as The Arkansas Brigade, is an infantry brigade combat team of the Army National Guard composed of personnel from the U.S. states of Arkansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. The unit is the largest Army National Guard command in Arkansas and is headquartered at the Camp Robinson Maneuver Training Center. It was ordered into federal service in 2003 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom II. The 39th was attached to the 1st Cavalry Division and served in and around Baghdad for a year, returning to the United States in March 2005.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Florida Army National Guard is Florida's component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard. In the United States, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the federal army's available combat forces and approximately one third of its support organization. Federal coordination of various state National Guard units are maintained through the National Guard Bureau. The Florida Army National Guard was composed of approximately 10,000 soldiers. The main state training grounds is Camp Blanding.
The Light Reaction Regiment is the premier Special Missions Unit of the Philippine Army. Formed in the Early 2000s, and was formerly known as the Light Reaction Battalion and Light Reaction Company. Due to its specialization in counter-terrorism (CT) operations and its formation with the assistance of American advisers, the Light Reaction Regiment has been sometimes referred to as the Philippines' Delta Force.
Camp Taji, also known as Camp Cooke, is a military installation used by Iraqi and Coalition forces near Taji, Baghdad Governorate, Iraq. The camp is located in a rural region approximately 27 km (17 mi) north of the capital Baghdad.
The North Caucasus Military District was a military district of the Russian Armed Forces from 1992-2010. Before 1992 it had been part of the Soviet Armed Forces since 1918. In 2010 it became the Southern Military District and lately also included the Black Sea Fleet and Caspian Flotilla.
Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, several countries began military operations against Al-Qaeda and the Taliban during Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) in Afghanistan. After the initial bombing operations, Operation Crescent Wind, OEF was the initial combat operations, and during 2002 and 2003.
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.
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".
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.
The Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF–AF), formally the United States Army Southern European Task Force, Africa, is a formation of the United States Army headquartered at Caserma Ederle, Italy.
The 2d Battalion, 153d Infantry Regiment , is an infantry battalion of the Arkansas Army National Guard, headquartered at Searcy, assigned to the 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. During World War II, the battalion was stationed in the Aleutian Islands. Following the attacks of 11 September 2001, the 2nd Battalion, 153rd Infantry, nicknamed the "Gunslingers", deployed to the Sinai on a peace keeping mission in order to free regular army soldiers for service elsewhere. The soldiers of the 2–153rd deployed under the flag of the 3rd Battalion, 153rd Infantry during Operation Iraqi Freedom II. The battalion provided disaster relief operations to the citizens of Louisiana in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The Gunslingers were deployed to Iraq a second time in 2008 as a security forces battalion and conducted convoy security operations in western Iraq. Most recently, members of the 2-153rd deployed to Central America as part of the Regionally aligned forces mission in order to carry out a train-the-trainer and security cooperation mission in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. See also
The Georgian Special Operations Command 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.
Georgia joined the Iraq war as part of the United States-led coalition in August 2003. By 2008, Georgia had deployed 2,300 troops in Iraq, becoming the third largest contributor to the coalition forces in the Iraq War. In addition, the country provided a battalion of approximately 550 troops to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq. All Georgian troops were withdrawn from Iraq amid the Russia–Georgia war in August 2008. Georgia suffered five fatal casualties in Iraq.
The Mobile Forces are the paratroopers of the armed forces of Tajikistan. They are similar to the Russian Airborne Troops, whom they often train with. The Mobile Forces act as an elite special forces unit, subservient to the Defense Ministry and separate from the ground forces. Although they are called paratroopers, the Mobile Forces often deployed out of helicopters, as the Tajik Air Force has few fixed wing aircraft.
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.