U.S.-Georgian Joint Military Training

About 350 U.S. Marines and 450 Georgian soldiers launched on July 18 two-week long joint military exercises at the Vaziani training area outside Tbilisi. The exercises, Agile Spirit 2011, include trainings in counterinsurgency operations, counter-improvised explosive device tactics, urban combat, clearing area and buildings from insurgents, small arms firing, peacekeeping operations and small unit and staff tactical planning. The Georgian Ministry of Defense said Agile Spirit 2011 is the first of what is scheduled to become an annual exercise, which would supplement other military trainings such as preparing Georgian soldiers by the U.S. Marine Corps for deployment in Afghanistan. The trainings were open for demonstration for the press on July 22.