Preparations for Field Training of the GTEP

(Tbilisi, Civil Georgia, July 19, 2002) – Today up to 400 Georgian soldiers were deployed in the Krtsanisi field camp. 200 soldiers are expected there in next few days.

In Krtsanisi camp 400 soldiers out of 600 will be chosen to take part in the field trainings of the US sponsored Georgia Train-and-Equip program.

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.

Other battalions would receive similar training but without the helicopter-interoperability part.