Defense Minister Monitors Preparations for GTEP Field Training

(Tbilisi, Civil Georgia, July 23, 2002) – Georgian Defense Minister Davit Tevzadze visits Krtsanisi field camp today, where up to 600 Georgian soldiers, intending to participate in the US funded Georgian Train-and-Equip program (GTEP), are deployed.

400 soldiers out of 600 will be chosen during the month for the first commando battalion that will undergo field training in frames of the GTEP.

The US military instructors will train four Georgian battalions. The training would be done sequentially, one after another; each battalion would be trained for 4 months.

The first to be trained will be the commando battalion, which will be trained during four months together with helicopter unit. It will function as rapid reaction force.