U.S. Assists Georgia in Reformation of Defense System

A group of retired U.S. officers are helping officials in the Georgian Defense Ministry and members of the General Staff of the Armed Forces to restructure and reform the defense system of Georgia.

The employer of 14 U.S. military experts is a Washington-based security firm, Cubic Applications International.

?They are working with the Georgian Ministry of Defense and General Staff as consultants to them to make suggestions, which would enable the Ministry and General Staff to make decisions and to rationalize the structure,? The U.S. Ambassador in Georgia, Richard Miles, said at a meeting with Georgian reporters on May 27.

The funding of this program in 2004 will amount to $3 million. The Pentagon has a contract with Cubic Applications International, which is expected to be renewed annually.

?Their [U.S. military experts?] potential of being here is about five years, but the contract renews every year,? Major Doug Peterson, chief of the Office of Defense Cooperation at the U.S. Embassy in Georgia, said.

He said that the aim of this program is ?to implement western systems,? including NATO compatible structures and doctrines, into the Georgian army.

?They [U.S. military experts] work at the Ministry of Defense level, General Staff level, 11th Brigade [the best trained and equipped military unit in the Georgian army] level and GTEP [Georgia Train-and-Equip Program] battalions? level,? Major Peterson said.

Cubic?s efforts are also closely coordinated by the British Advisory team, which is also working with the Georgian Ministry of Defense.

The United States has already implemented the $64 million, Georgia Train and Equip Program (GTEP), which ended in April, 2004. As a result, four light infantry battalions and one mechanized/armor company was trained and equipped under the framework of GTEP.

?The GTEP is over. But we continue cooperative military relationships with Georgia, as what we consider to be a routine training for the Georgian military,? US Ambassador Richard Miles said.

He said that at the moment, a Mobile Training Team of U.S. military instructors is responsible for ?210 Georgian officers undergoing training in how to handle the battalion.?

In 2004, the United States will send a total of eight Mobile Training Teams to train the battalion staffs and support units of the 11th Brigade of the Defense Ministry, as well as GTEP graduated units.