Georgia Sends Troops to Afghanistan

50 Georgian soldiers and officers from the 16th Mountain Battalion departed on August 29 to Germany for a two-week training courses to prepare for a 100-day deployment in Afghanistan.

The 16 Sachkhere Mountain Battalion was trained by the U.S. military instructors in frames of the Georgia Train-and-Equip Program and later underwent British-funded training courses for Peace Support Operation tactics carried out by the British military instructors.

Georgian soldiers will be deployed in Afghanistan under the command of the German forces.

159 soldiers from the 16th Mountain Battalion of the Georgian Defense Ministry are stationed in Iraq as well, as part of the coalition forces.