MINISTRY OF DEFENCE OF GEORGIA
Georgian Defense Conference
The Georgian Defense Con-
ference held this month in the city
of Batumi, like its predecessors,
sought to give interested parties
the opportunity to discuss the ex-
isting security environment in
Georgia and the ongoing defense
reforms in its armed forced. At the
Forum, organized by the Geor-
gian Defense Ministry, a wide
range of delegations from Geor-
gia and abroad were given the
opportunity to hold open discus-
sions on new challenges in the
global security sphere.
The conference has become
a yearly tradition, and the num-
ber of delegates attending the
event has grown year on year.
This year, the conference was
proud to welcome distinguished,
high-ranking representatives
from NATO, the USA and other
partner countries, as well as
members of the diplomatic
corps. The list of the guests at
the Conference also included
representatives from Georgian
governmental and non-govern-
mental agencies, the parliamen-
tary majority and opposition par-
ties, and independent experts in
PUBLIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT
the defense and security sphere.
Within the framework of the
two-day conference, a range of
important issues were discussed,
including NATO after the Lisbon
Summit, global security challeng-
es, defense reforms, the Georgian
reserve system and defense trans-
formation and transparency. An
emphasis was made on the new
reserve and civil defense systems,
and the Strategic Review Docu-
ment renewed by Georgian De-
fense Ministry, which reports on
progress on aspects of national
security relating to defense, and
outlines the Georgian Armed
Forces plans for development up
until 2015.
Delegates at the conference
had a good opportunity to discuss
not only Georgian defense issues,
but also broader security ques-
tions. The Vice-Minister of Na-
tional Defense of Lithuania, Vy-
tautas Umbrasas told Defense To-
day: “I feel that this conference
was very useful and very positive.
I hope, as I heard from the [Geor-
gian] Deputy Defense Minister, it
will continue to become a larger,
broader and deeper event every
year. I hope that next year will also
have many good speakers, meet-
ings and opportunities to discuss
important security questions. It is
very important for Georgia, and
for the region, and maybe for oth-
er regions as well,” Umbrasas ex-
plained.
The conference was opened
by the Georgian State Minister for
European and Euro-Atlantic In-
tegration, Mr. Giorgi Baramidze.
In his opening remarks the min-
ister spoke about the significance
of the meeting. The Chairman of
the Civil Council on Defense and
Security, Mr. Erekle Mchedlish-
vili, highlighted the transparency
and active participation of public
society in the ongoing processes
in the defense sphere.
In his speech, NATO General
Director of the International Mil-
itary Staff, Lieutenant General
Jürgen Bornemann discussed
such topics as NATO’s new func-
tions, current challenges and fu-
ture vision after the Lisbon Sum-
mit, as well the importance of the
ISAF operation and Georgia’s
participation in the mission.
Continued on p.3
JANUARY 2011 ISSUE #1
Meetings on the
sidelines of the GDC
Within the framework of the
Georgian Defense Conference
(GDC), the Georgian Minister of
Defense, Bacho Akhalaia, held
meetings with the US Deputy
Assistant Secretary of Defense,
Doctor Celeste Wallander, and
Director General of the Interna-
tional Military Staff of NATO,
Lieutenant General Jurgen
Bornemann. The topics of dis-
cussion at the meeting were glo-
bal security and bilateral coop-
eration, the NATO-Georgian re-
lationship, the ongoing ISAF
operation in Afghanistan, and the
reforms being implemented in
the Georgian Defense system.
“I’m very grateful to the
Georgian government for orga-
nizing this conference on de-
fense issues. I’m very lucky to
be here and privileged to have
been invited and to be the part
of the event. We had a good dis-
cussion this morning, I wasn’t
speaking myself but I learned a
lot from the speakers, and I’ve
had an opportunity to talk with
the Minister about our defense
cooperation. I‘m very much ap-
preciative of all the effort, and
for this terrific opportunity to
come here to Batumi. We dis-
cussed our bilateral defense re-
lationship, we discussed Geor-
gia’s contribution to the ISAF
and to the NATO-led effort in
Afghanistan, we talked a little bit
about security issues more gen-
erally and the usual issues that
we discuss in review. It was a
great opportunity to catch up and
see where we are,” Doctor Wal-
lender told journalists.
The top NATO Official, Lieu-
tenant General Jurgen Borne-
mann, also underlined the impor-
tance of the Defense Conference:
“Let me start by saying that it’s
a great pleasure and an honor for
me as the Director General of the
International Military Staff from
NATO HQ in Brussels, to take
part in this very important De-
fense Conference. It is important
Georgian soldiers show
themselves as
extraordinary fighters
Celeste Wallander visits
the Cadets’ Military
Lyceum
NATO Lieutenant General
Jurgen Bornemann visits
Georgia
NATO General Director of the International Military Staff, Lieutenant
General Jürgen Bornemann and the Georgian Minister of Defense, Bacho
Akhalaia
because we see here the results making extensive reviews which
of the ongoing defense review we would like to continue with
Georgia is undertaking like your delegation in Brussels, in
many other partners and coun- the NATO-Georgia Commis-
tries in NATO. We have to re- sion, and we are now participat-
form our structures, we have to ing in some very important pro-
reform our forces in order to be cesses in the military. I just had
able to meet the requirements of a meeting with your Defense
the 21st century, and Georgia is a Minister where we went through
partner in this process, so I was those instruments and we came
very pleased to take part in this to the conclusion that we are on
conference. I also had the oppor- the right track,” said General
tunity to speak to many key lead- Bornemman, in his interview
ers in the Georgian defense sec- with representatives of the me-
tor: in the Parliament, in the Se- dia.
curity Council, in the General “Representatives of partner
Staff and in the Ministry of De- nations such as the United States,
fense. I am pleased to say that as well as other NATO member
we had very intensive discus- countries attending the confer-
sions on the development of the ence unilaterally support our
relationship between NATO and course of development and the
Georgia, and we came to the con- reform of our armed forces, and
clusion together that 2010 was a consider that the reforms are be-
very successful year in the de- ing executed successfully. We
velopment of this relationship. hope that, through our close co-
We are very much looking for- operation, we will be able to re-
ward to the instruments we have inforce and proceed with the pro-
developed to continue working cess of implementing the reforms
together in 2011 on the political in the Georgian Armed Forces”,
side, which is also very impor- declared the Georgian Minister of
tant on the military side. We are Defense, Mr. Bacho Akhalaia.
INSIDE
Command and Staff
course launched at the
National Defense
Academy
Ministry of Defense
basketball team wins
the Georgian Cup
“Army” visits Slovenia
2 MONTHLY SUPPLEMENT OF GEORGIA TODAY
Georgian soldiers show themselves
as extraordinary fighters
Those who have worked close-
ly with Major-General Richard
Mills say that he is far from being
a typical Hollywood-style US Ma-
rine commander. He has a good
sense of humor and is very ap-
proachable. He has his strengths,
he is a general after all, but he is
open to his subordinates – his sol-
diers are not afraid to approach
him.
Today Major-General Mills
takes over command of 8,000 Brit-
ish troops and 20,000 US Marines
in Helmand province. He has re-
placed Major-General Nick Cart-
er, the British commander, who re-
mains in charge in Kandahar but
loses control of the bulk of Brit-
ain’s 10,000 troops in southern Af-
ghanistan. He is the Commanding
General of the 1st US Marine Di-
vision, based at Camp Pendleton
in California. However, for his role
in southern Afghanistan, he is in
command of one Marine Expedi-
tionary Force (Forward) from his
headquarters at Camp Leather-
neck.
Major-General Mills has praised the
skills and achievements of the Georgian
troops in Helmand. The new command-
er believes that the coalition forces have
driven the Taliban out of most of the
towns and villages, and that the task
ahead is to hold the territory and build a
better life for the local population,
though he admits there is still tough
fighting ahead.
Major-General Mills, 55, is an Iraq
veteran, and comes from Huntington,
New York State. He was commissioned
in 1975 and served for a year as a lieu-
tenant with the 3rd Marine Division at
Okinawa in Japan. He was sent to the
prestigious Royal College of Defence
Studies in London as a lieutenant colo-
nel in 1999. He took command of the
24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU)
from 2000 to 2003, serving in Kosovo,
in Operation Enduring Freedom in Af-
ghanistan, and in Iraq. He took com-
mand of the 1st Marine Division in May
2007 and spent two years in Iraq. De-
fense Today had the opportunity to in-
terview the Major General in Helmand
province.
Afghanistan is possibly the hottest
of global hot-spots. Since 2001, the
United States and its allies have been
fighting against an insurgency in the
country. What is your overall evalua-
tion of the current situation in Af-
ghanistan, particularly here in Hel-
mand province?
I think that we’ve seen very good
progress throughout Helmand province
and of course in Nimruz province where
many of the Georgian servicemen work.
I think we’ve seen a steady improvement
in the security situation, we have seen
the insurgents’ power reduce significant-
ly, we have seen the insurgents’ freedom
of movement reduce significantly, and
their ability to influence what happens
on the battlefield, again, reduced very
significantly. We’ve also seen a rise in
the capability of the Afghan security
forces - of their police and the army.
We’ve seen a corresponding rise in the
capability of the Afghan government to
be able to reach out to the people of Af-
ghanistan, and to provide the services
to the people of Afghanistan that a gov-
ernment should provide. That is because
of the very hard work that has been done
by the coalition forces, including the
Georgians. We have seen this in the area
of Delaram, where the Georgians are in
charge of my battle space. We have seen
a very strong improvement in security,
and we’ve seen a very strong improve-
ment in our relationship with the peo-
ple here, this is in no small part down to
the contribution of the Georgians. They
are working together very well. You can
see that in the bazaar, which has been
cleaned up, which has been made safe,
we have not had any significant prob-
lems in the Delaram bazaar because of
the presence of the Georgian forces. We
have also seen the Georgians do an ex-
cellent job of clearing the very impor-
tant road that runs from the Iranian bor-
der up to Delaram. The Georgians there
are working very closely with the Af-
ghan forces in pushing down that road,
of securing the road, and in doing so
have enabled commerce to take place
and people to travel freely. That is very
important to the people of Afghanistan
and to the government of Afghanistan. I
can tell you now that we have seen
steady progress both on the battlefield
and with the government.
Several months ago, the Obama
administration adopted new strategy
on Afghanistan. One of the key aspects
of this strategy is the further devel-
opment of the Afghan security forces.
Have there been any challenges for the
Coalition Forces in this respect?
The main challenge of course is to
give the Afghan security forces the time
to develop their abilities. They are the
ones who will be ultimately responsible
for taking charge of Afghanistan and tak-
ing control of security in the country.
They should finish the fight against the
insurgency. They need time to develop,
equip, train themselves and get confi-
dence on the battlefield. Our challenge
as a coalition is to keep the pressure off
them for the time being, to take on the
insurgency ourselves, to work closely
with the Afghan security forces, giving
them the time to develop. In addition, our
challenge is to set to an example for them,
and to provide a good example of a pro-
fessional military, a military which serves
the people and government of Afghani-
stan. We are working to help them to de-
velop a fair and just security service
which works for the people and not
against the people.
How long do you think will be be-
fore Afghan forces can take full con-
trol over security in Afghanistan?
I will make this prediction. In the
eight months that I’ve been here, I’ve
seen steady progress within the Afghan
security forces. Let’s talk about the army
first. The 215 corps, which is the group
that we work with, is brand new. It’s only
been in existence since March and I’ve
seen great progress in their capabilities
on the battlefield. They now control
many of our checkpoints and in Delaram
they are working alongside the Georgian
forces there. They are doing their job
very well and are improving everyday.
They are able to do so because of the
training and the mentorship they receive,
and the Georgian contingent are their
partners in this respect. They are doing
this because of the example that we have
set. They have modeled themselves af-
ter the coalition forces: they work with
our equipment, they work with our air-
craft, and they work with our support-
ing arms. Everyday, they learn from us
how to improve. I think the raw materi-
al is very good. An Afghan soldier is a
good soldier: he takes hardship very
well, he likes the fight, he understands
whom he has to fight. I think that our
challenge is to work with them to make
them better and better everyday.
Can you tell us about the ISAF’s
civil-military operations? How are the
coalition, and particularly Georgian
troops, providing humanitarian sup-
port in Afghanistan?
Civil-military operations are very
important. We are fighting a counter-in-
surgency so the focus of our efforts has
to be the population. Our job is to sepa-
rate the insurgents from the people and
we do that through military means, but
it is also important to connect the peo-
ple of Afghanistan with their govern-
ment, to show them the benefits that the
government of Afghanistan could bring
to them, and we do that through our civ-
il-military operations. These operations
bring immediate benefit to the Afghan
people. We believe that the Afghan peo-
ple will realize that the support of the
Afghan government is more beneficial
for them [than any other option]. If you
look to the insurgency, if you look to
the Taliban, they provided very little to
the Afghan people. There were no
schools and there were very few roads.
The most of the economy was based on
the drug trade - none of this benefited
the Afghan people. When we arrived, the
bazaars were in a terrible condition,
there was no business going on, people
could not drive from place to place safe-
ly - it was not a country that was func-
tioning. Since we’ve arrived, through the
projects we have implemented, we have
improved the lives of the Afghan peo-
ple. If you look out at Delaram, where
the Georgians operate, you can see the
bazaars are open and they are doing very
well. You can buy any fruit or vegeta-
bles that you want there. You can see
schools that are opening, which is im-
portant for the Afghan people; they put
a high price on education. Look at the
main road - I can say that Georgians are
responsible for the safety of this road
too, the Taliban can not cut it anymore,
the Taliban can not charge money to
drive on the road. It is a free road, which
is down to the efforts of our civil-mili-
tary operations. All of this is based on
the efforts that Georgians and another
coalition forces have made. We provide
short-term jobs, you must know that
employment in Afghanistan is very dif-
ficult, there are not a lot of jobs avail-
able for the people. The civil-military
operations that we are carrying out pro-
vide short-term jobs; otherwise, young
men could join the insurgency to make
some money to support their families.
Everybody knows that Helmand
province has had issues with control-
ling drug production. What are coa-
lition forces doing to reduce this prob-
lem?
We work in many ways because the
drug trade is very prevalent throughout
Helmand province. It is a way insurgents
make money. They care very little about
the people, you can see that when they
place IEDs (Improvised Explosive De-
vices), these devices kill and wound lo-
cal people. They destroyed the agricul-
tural economy that was here and turned
it to drug production. Therefore, we do
several things: first, we support provin-
cial governments; we support their
projects and their priority of destroying
the drug trade. They have eradication
programs and we support these too.
They have a reeducation program which
teaches people how bad the drug trade
is. They have programs to teach locals
to grow wheat, corn and vegetables in-
JANUARY 2011 ISSUE #1
stead of drugs. They also work to pro-
vide a way for the farmers to sell their
products, because a farmer makes his
money by growing and selling their
crops. We support the governors as they
have various programs to help farmers
to sell their crops, as opposed to selling
drugs to the Taliban. All of which we
hope will encourage the local popula-
tion to grow genetically-engineered
crops and not to grow poppies. We are
doing everything we can to eradicate the
drug trade in the area.
Can you tell us more about the
Georgian forces fighting here in Af-
ghanistan, what are their strengths,
and what problems are our soldiers
here in Helmand province facing?
They are strong soldiers, it would be
difficult for me to tell you all the
strengths the Georgian troops possess.
They have proven themselves on the
battlefield, and that is the number one
task every soldier should be able to com-
plete. The Georgians have shown them-
selves as extraordinarily good fighters.
More importantly, they have demon-
strated that they understand how
counter-insurgency works. In addition
to being brave, strong and great fight-
ers, they also have learnt to work with
the Afghan people, to build strong rela-
tionships with them and to protect them.
The Georgian troops we know are hard
men and they take hardship very well.
Living and weather conditions are of-
ten harsh in the field. Another very im-
portant strength is that they work very
well with the other coalition forces. We
have US marines who are tied into the
Georgian units. The Georgians have
shown a very good ability to work with
the marines in accomplishing their dif-
ferent missions. They also work with our
aircraft and artillery, all of which makes
them good partners. They are planning
and executing with us. They have also
shown the ability to work independent-
ly. We have one company of Georgians
which we have deployed in the area of
Sangine, it is a very tough fight and we
need their help there. Georgians have
shown an ability to absorb causalities,
casualties are never good, and I offer my
personal condolences to all the Georgian
forces killed and wounded in combat.
However, professional militaries absorb
casualties and stay focused on their mis-
sion. Good militaries take the casualties
and continue to get their job done. Geor-
gians have done this. Despite the loss
of senior officers and very good Geor-
gian soldiers, they have stayed focused,
they have stayed professional and
they’ve stayed on their mission. This is
a very high compliment to their disci-
pline, to their training, to their prepara-
tion and to the type of soldiers that they
are.
Irakli Gurgenidze
JANUARY 2011 ISSUE #1
Georgian Defense Conference
The Vice-Minister of National Defense of Lithuania, Vytautas Umbrasas
Continued from p.1
The Ambassador of the Republic of
Lithuania to Georgia, H.E. Mr. Jonas
Paslauskas, spoke about NATO’s new
Strategic Concept and the organization’s
future priorities. During the first panel
discussion at the conference, the head
of Georgia’s mission to NATO, H.E. Mr.
Gega Mgaloblishvili, took the opportu-
nity to speak about the activities that
Georgia has undertaken to support its
integration into NATO. The First Depu-
ty Minister of Defense of Armenia, Dav-
id Tonoyan dedicated his speech to
NATO-Armenia relations, challenges
and directions for future cooperation.
The Vice-Minister of National De-
fense of Lithuania, Vytautas Umbrasas
shared his views on Georgia and Lithua-
nian cooperation with Defense Today:
“We are very satisfied with the oppor-
tunity for us to participate the creation
of the new Strategic Concept alongside
all NATO countries . It is clear that we
have all gained a lot from this document.
NATO is continuing to be an alliance of
collective defense; collective defense
and article five are cornerstones of
NATO alongside transatlantic relations.
We discussed a lot of questions connect-
ed to new threats such as cyber defense
and energy security, issues that are very
important for Lithuania too. We also dis-
cussed partnership, I think that the new
strategic concept is a very positive thing
for Georgia that it will open more doors
for the country, helping it on its way to
NATO. We value the Georgian and
Lithuanian partnership in the ISAF mis-
sion in Afghanistan, but it is not the only
area in which we are cooperating. We’re
working together in the sphere of mili-
tary education: your soldiers and offic-
ers are coming to Lithuania to study at
the Lithuanian military academy or at
our NCO school. Cooperation to date
has been fruitful and productive, wheth-
er it be through cooperation in Afghan-
istan, in education, or through confer-
ences such as this. I look forward to
working with the Georgian Armed Forc-
es in 2011.”
The second panel discussion of the
conference focused on global security,
and saw the Chairman of the Board of
the Caucasus Institute for Peace, De-
mocracy and Development, Mr. Gia
Nodia discuss current risks within the
South Caucasus region. Members of the
American delegation spoke about glo-
bal security challenges and European
security. The US deputy Assistant Sec-
retary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine
and Eurasia, Dr. Celeste Wallander, de-
scribed the political dimensions of the
American administration’s policy in
terms of regional security, as well as
Georgia’s important role in strengthen-
ing international security, and the Geor-
gian contribution to the ISAF operation
in Afghanistan.
A Member of Staff for European and
Eurasian Affairs at the US Senate For-
eign Relations Committee, Mr. Marik
String, spoke about problematic issues
between the US and Russia, and poten-
tial avenues through which they could
be resolved. His speech also discussed
the importance of support to the Geor-
gian Defense system, with particular
reference to education, concluding with
a positive assessment of current reforms.
The Ambassador of the Republic of
France to Georgia, H.E. Mr. Eric Fourn-
ier, reviewed current risks and challeng-
es in the field of global security. Defense
Advisor and Head of the Estonian Mis-
sion to NATO, Mr. Christian Mark
Lifländer, discussed cyber security and
NATO’s approach to the problem.
The third panel – Defense reforms:
the way ahead was opened by the First
Deputy Defense Minister of Georgia,
Mr. Nodar Kharshiladze, who spoke
about ongoing reforms in the Georgian
Defense sector, and focused on the stra-
tegic defense review, and the guiding
principles, challenges and reforms out-
lined in the document. Deputy State
Minister, Mrs. Elene Khoshtaria dis-
cussed NATO-Georgia relations, during
her speech she once more underlined
one of the main priorities for Georgian
foreign policy – NATO integration. She
also spoke about the high level of sup-
port the Georgian population has shown
towards integration into Euro-Atlantic
MONTHLY SUPPLEMENT OF GEORGIA TODAY
3
Celeste Wallander visits the
structures, the decision of the Buchar-
Cadets’ Military Lyceum
est Summit and the inevitability of Geor- The US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence, Doctor Celeste Wallander, has
gia’s integration in the Alliance. paid a visit to Georgia, visiting the Georgian Defense Conference in Batumi. On
The Vice-Minister of Defense of February 1, Doctor Wallander, together with the Deputy Defence Minister, Nodar
Lithuania, described the panel as inter- Kharshiladze, visited the Cadets’ Military Lyceum. The US Deputy Assistant Secre-
esting and useful: “I heard a very good tary of Defense and her accompanying delegation inspected the Lyceum, its infra-
presentation from your officials, they structure, classrooms, dormitories, recreational and dining facilities, as well as the
talked about what is going on in the basketball court and football stadium.
Georgian Ministry of Defense and Geor- “We came to Georgia to visit the cadets’ academy as part of the Office of the
gian Army. I would like to say that we Secretary of Defense’s delegation to the Georgian Defense Conference. We wit-
are still discussing the same questions, nessed a very impressive Georgian cadets academy, what we saw is very modern -
notwithstanding the fact that we are now we visited classrooms, and recreational facilities. Overall we are very impressed and
six years into NATO membership, and we think it can be a very important piece of Georgia’s institution building in the
have fulfilled many of NATO’s require- Georgian armed forces, and we think it will help Georgia with its Euro-Atlantic
ments. After joining NATO, still ques- integration,” the Pentagon’s Country Director for Georgia and Moldova, Mark Si-
tions remain around our reserve forces makovsky told journalists during the visit.
and defense structures. This process I
think, is a big process, a process which
is never ending, it continues and con-
tinues with more and more to do to per-
fect these things over time,” declared
Vytautas Umbrasas.
The Rector of the National Defense
Academy, Mr. Andro Barnovi, referred
to the current state of affairs in the field
of education in his speech, as well as
tackling new visions for the develop-
ment of the National Defense Academy.
The Defense Attaché of Canada to Geor-
gia, Colonel Sylvian Lescoutre, and the
Head of the Dutch Mission to NATO,
Mr. Timo Koster spoke about their ex-
periences of reform in their countries’
armed forces.
One of the major topics for the con-
ference was Georgia’s new reserve sys-
tem and issues surrounding civil de-
fense. The Deputy Head of J-5, a divi-
sion of the Joint Staff of Georgia, Lieu-
NATO Lieutenant General Jurgen
tenant Colonel Omar Begoidze, and
member of the parliamentary opposi-
tion, Nick Laliashvili, shared their opin-
ions on the issue. Major General Will-
iam T. Nesbitt made an interesting pre- Bornemann visits Georgia
sentation on the American reserve sys-
Lieutenant General Jurgen Bornemann, the Director General of the International
tem.
Military Staff of NATO, has met with the Chief of Joint Staff of the GAF, Major-
The fifth panel of the conference dis-
General Devi Chankotadze. The key points of their bilateral discussion included,
cussed defense transparency and the
cooperation in the field of education, efficiency in peacekeeping operations, and the
public’s contribution to the security de-
ongoing defense reforms currently being implemented in the Georgian Armed Forc-
cision-making process. The Vice-Min-
es. After the meeting, the NATO official took a tour of the Krtsanisi National Train-
ister of National Defense of Lithuania,
ing Center accompanied by the Deputy Chief of Joint Staff, Colonel Arsen Tsukh-
Mr. Vytautas Umbrasas, spoke about
ishvili. The NATO general also met with the personnel of the 33rd Battalion of the 3rd
defense transparency: “At this confer-
Infantry Brigade, which is being prepared to rotate with the servicemen of the 32nd
ence I started to think that sometimes
Battalion currently deployed in Afghanistan after their six-month service. Borne-
maybe Lithuania can learn something
mann also inspected the Simulation Center located at Krtsanisi Training Base.
from Georgia. More or less we are in-
“I am visiting Georgia at a very interesting time as the relationship between Georgia
terrelated in our endeavors, and can
and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is entering in a new stage. I am visiting
share one with other various aspects of
Georgia in order to take part in the Annual Defense Conference tomorrow, where the
our activities. So I hope that our experi-
Georgian authorities will present the first findings of their national defense review,
ence in working on the issue of trans-
and I am very much looking forward to listening to how Georgia is developing its
parency could also be useful for Geor-
armed forces. Of course, I am also here to discuss the status of cooperation between
gia. I explained Lithuania’s system, and
Georgia and NATO. I can tell you that we had a very successful year in 2010 with a
discussed democratic control, and civil-
lot of cooperation activities being implemented. We are very much looking forward
ian control of the Armed Forces, then
to continuing our cooperation with Georgia this year - that is the reason why we are
our relations with our society, as well as
here in this training centre. One of the focuses of the cooperation between NATO
how to resolve certain issues connected
and Georgia is the participation of the Georgian Armed Forces in the NATO-led
with civilian-army relations. When deal-
ISAF operation in Afghanistan. It is a great pleasure for me when I consider that
ing with the public it is important to
Georgia has sent troops to this operation. Georgia is the second largest non-NATO
know when to respond and when not,
contributor, and with this, Georgia is supporting the NATO operation in Afghanistan
we looked at simple questions and some-
in a very efficient and excellent manner,” - declared the NATO official in an inter-
times very critical questions: how to deal
view with journalists.
with society, how to build support for
Jurgen Bornemann also held meetings with Parliament’s Vice-speaker, Rusudan
the army and for army affairs, military
Kervalishvili, and Secretary of the National Security Council, Giga Bokeria. Within
affairs and so on,” declared Vytautas
the framework of the official visit, the Lieutenant General travelled to Batumi to
Umbrasas.
attend the Georgian Defence Conference.
The UK Special Defense Advisor to
the Georgian Defense Ministry, Mr.
Steven Glover, presented his vision of
British defense and security, and how it
related to the Georgian strategic review
document. The Head of the Planning and
Analysis Department of the Chamber of
Control of Georgia, Mr. Levan Alapish-
vili, concluded the conference themati-
cally, reviewing issues related to the
state budget and defense reforms.
The Georgian Defense Conference
2011, held in Batumi, will be remem-
bered for the attendance of many high-
ranking dignitaries, interesting discus-
sion, the sharing of experiences and plan-
ning for the future. The conference is one
more step forward for Georgia in terms
of deepening regional and international
cooperation in the security sphere.
Thea Chonishvili
4 MONTHLY SUPPLEMENT OF GEORGIA TODAY JANUARY 2011 ISSUE #1

Command and Staff course launched at the

National Defense Academy
The New Year began with plenty of
innovations for the Georgian Armed
Forces, particularly with regard to edu-
cation. The first pilot course for Com-
mand and Staff has been launched at the
National Defense Academy. Undergo-
ing the course is one of the most impor-
tant steps Georgian military servicemen
can take to develop professionally and
advance their careers. The head of the
course, Lieutenant-Colonel Mamuka
Shiukashvili, explained that the leader-
ship of the Georgian Defense Ministry
and the Joint Staff of the Georgian
Armed Forces rendered huge assistance
and support to get the course off the
ground. Trainings and Military Educa-
tion Command, Land Forces Command
and the ODC actively participated in the
course’s development, and played key
roles in making it a reality. Representa-
tives from the US National Defense
College, the British Armed Forces (from
the Command and Staff College) and the
Baltic Defense College, all also partici-
pated in different stages of program de-
velopment.
The course is a product of bilateral
co-operation between the command and
staff personnel of the National Defense
Academy and CUBIC. The curriculum
includes the results of a detailed analysis
of the dangers, challenges and demands
on the Georgian State and Armed Forc-
es.
In the near future, a Command and
Staff College is planned to be established
in Georgia, where the course will be
available as an intermediate level cours-
es for professional development. Some
other high-level courses are also planned
to be launched at the college. This kind
of educational institution will give Geor-
gian officers the opportunity to receive
high-quality education for their personal
and professional development.
The need for a Command and Staff
course became apparent after the war of
August 2008. Prior to the conflict, only a
limited number of Georgian officers were
able to receive professional education at
institutions abroad. However, as experi-
ence showed, a lot of the officers that
were sent away were not suitable for the
demands of the Georgian Armed Forces.
For this reason the leadership of the Geor-
gian Defense Ministry made the decision
to form an appropriate educational insti-
tution within the country.
The Command and Staff program was
initially established in 2008. Its first task
was to develop an additional preparation
course for mid-ranking command and
staff officers. The course lasted 13 weeks
and aimed to give its participants the
knowledge and skills required to lead the
GAF. This course was carried out over a
year-and-a-half with three batches of of-
ficers graduating from the program. At
the end of 2009, a working group was
established to create a new, improved
course. The working group consisted of
Command and Staff instructors and CU-
BIC, who began to prepare a program that
met the standards of courses in the GAF’s
partner countries.
The Command and Staff course is
currently aimed at preparing mid-rank-
ing command and staff officers. Lieuten-
ant-Colonel Mamuka Shiukashvili, ex-
plained how the selection process for the
course works: “Considering the reality
that several of the Lieutenant-Colonels
serving in Georgian Armed Forces are not
educated to the level their positions de-
mand, we decided that these officer
should undergo the full program of the
Command and Staff course. So, the con-
tingent undertaking the course are offic-
ers – Majors or Lieutenant-Colonels from
battalions, brigades, land forces and var-
ious departments within the GAF”.
The first pilot course started on Janu-
ary 17, 2011 and provided training for
28 military servicemen, divided into two
groups according to the curriculum. The
seven month-long course will continue
until August 19, 2011. The curriculum has
been developed according to the specific
needs of the Georgian Armed Forces, and
provides participants with practical
knowledge surrounding combat opera-
tions on a battalion, brigade and land forc-
es level. The program deliberately focus-
es on the demands and challenges that
the Georgian Armed Forces faces, or will
face, within the country, as well as in
joint, multinational and non-conventional
operations. The course seeks to prepare
commanders and leaders who will be able
to make decision independently.
There are conditions for taking part
in the course. Participating officers must
have undergone prior steps in their pro-
fessional development. However, there
are some exceptions for servicemen who
were unable to receive the required level
of education. Officers wishing to take part
in the course must sit and pass an exam
prior to enrollment.
The current program consists of a
number of modules and gives participants
the appropriate education, training and
skills that are required in officers of the
Georgian Armed Forces. The curriculum
includes not only military components –
combat training, conflict theory and prin-
ciples, planning, preparation, and execu-
tion; but also military history, which
works to develop participants’ under-
standing of the military history and prac-
tices of Georgian and European armed
forces. One of the most important cours-
es is the leadership module, as it aims to
form powerful and intellectual leaders.
The defense and security module is also
very interesting, as it focuses on global
and regional challenges. In the future,
several new modules will be added to the
curriculum.
Mamuka Shiukashvili, the head of the
course, explained that the Command and
Staff course is quite different from oth-
ers. “One of the main differences is that
we teach officers ‘how to think’ and not
‘what to think’. It seeks to provide com-
manders and staff officers with critical
and creative thinking skills, as well as the
necessary tactical and technical skills,
which will help them to adapt to any cir-
cumstance. We want our officers to be
able to make rapid and precise decisions
in any operations that our Armed Forces
may be called on to carry out in the fu-
ture. Our officers must be able to take on
any task and the responsibility for its suc-
cessful execution.”
Trainees are given a range of materi-
als to prepare for the course in advance
in order to maximize the impact of the
training. They also participate in debates
and discussions around the subject mat-
ter. Group work is a key component of
the course, each lesson includes study and
discussion on a particular example or in-
cident, as well practical application of the
course material. Practical exercises in the
GAF’s simulation centers are also very
important for the course: allowing offic-
ers to plan, prepare, execute and a range
of tactical mock-operations. The program
pays great attention to writing skills and
briefing culture; accordingly, during the
course, participants will have to prepare
a variety of reviews and essays.
The program has a strong set of in-
structors, who have had training in NATO
member countries, and have undergone
a number of professional military cours-
es. Teaching is carried out by groups of
three trainers: Each group includes an
American instructor, a Georgian instruc-
tor and a well-prepared interpreter. The
Georgian and American instructors will
be drawn from a variety of land forces,
including infantry, artillery, intelligence,
engineering and so on. However the lec-
tures in military history, and defense and
security studies will only be taught by
personnel with Doctors degrees level
education or above.
Similar educational institutions are
operational in the armed forces of many
other countries – the USA, Great Brit-
ain, the Baltic countries and so on. These
institutions are of course, appropriate to
the specific demands of each country and
armed forces. The Georgian Command
and Staff course has been developed with
the support of the US Command–Staff
College, but the curriculum has been
structured according to the Georgian re-
ality. The program of the first pilot course
includes all the challenges and demands
that Georgia and its Armed Forces may
face.
Eka Gakhokidze

Ministry of Defense basketball “Army” visits Slovenia

team wins the Georgian Cup “Army”, the Basketball Team of the
Georgian Ministry of Defense has been
The Georgian MoD’s basketball team, “Army”, has emerged victorious in the on tour to Slovenia, playing a number of
Georgian Cup. Their path to the top started with a quarter-final match against “Sokhu- matches in the cities of Koper and Ljubl-
mi” which saw “Army” triumph with a score of 91 to 71. The first round of the game jana. The visit provided a great opportu-
saw neither team being able to press ahead an advantage, though by the end of the nity for the team to practice against in-
third quarter, the MoD team were able to push into the lead, eventually winning ternational competition, and saw some
comfortably by a difference of 20 points. Sergo Atuashvili stood out from the “Army” strong results. In their first game, “Army”
team, showing the best play and securing 14 points. beat “Senchur” (placed sixth in the Slov-
The semi-final game against “TSU” was held on January 30, and saw the MoD enian league) 77 to 65. The next two
team achieve victory and move forward into the finals of the Georgian Cup. The games saw good performances from the
match was close, with a narrow victory for “Army”. The tense and spectacular game Defense Team, but ultimately defeat to
saw impressive basketball from both sides. Giorgi Pirvelishvili showed the best play, “Zlatorog” (77 to 76) and “Slovan” (68
scoring 13 point for the team. In the end, Anatoly Boisa’s final three points were to 79).
decisive and “Army” won out, 67 to 66. The Basketball Team of the Georgian
The final, held on February 1 at Tbilisi’s Sports Palace, saw “Army” square up Ministry of Defense was in Slovenia be-
against the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Onlookers expected another tight game, but tween January 2 and 17. Each day, the the second period “Army” changed their venia made it clear to us that if we want
“Army” dominated from the off, winning comfortably by 71-51. The end of the players had trainings twice a day, as well tactics, and won the game with comfort- to take part in European tournaments next
competition also saw awards being handed out for the tournament’s top players. as the opportunity to enjoy a healthy nu- ably. Against “Zlatorog”, “Army” had a year, we will have to strengthen our team
“Army’s” number 23, Giorgi Sharabidze, was awarded Best Shooter; with number trition program and rehabilitation facili- good chance to win the game, in the last – we need to reach the level of each well-
9, Anatoly Berishvili, named as player of the competition. “Army” is the winner of ties. The sportsmen were delighted at the seconds the Georgian team reduced the trained foreign defender, forward and
the 9th Georgian Cup Tournament. opportunity to train in Slovenia. points difference to two, overtook their player. I am not speaking only about
“Army” played their three matches adversary’s assault, and had the oppor- “Army” here, I think our experience will
over the last four days of the visit, per- tunity to equalize, however they lost the also help other Georgian basketball clubs
haps this, along with the team’s journey ball during the attack, narrowly losing a looking to participate in the European
from Koper to Ljubljana could explain tight game. cup.”
the team’s loss in their game with “Slo- Moseshvili’s assessment of the tour Unfortunately, “Army” returned in
van”. Levan Moseshvili, the team’s lead in Slovenia is that European teams have Georgia with an injury to a key player,
coach, explained that travel and the new stronger defenses than Georgia. “We with doctors diagnosing Davit Ugrekhe-
hall contributed to “Army” losing the reach scores of 80-90 in our country, but lidze with a partly torn Achilles tendon.
match. “Slovan” gained the advantage in Slovenia only 77. Our rivals pressed Has undergone an operation and will have
from the very beginning, but “Army” hard over 40 minutes. The matches in to wear leg-supports for a month.
made a strong come-back, managing to Slovenia showed us what we need in Ugrekhelidze has been replaced by
narrow the margin to 6 by the final whis- terms of training is to take part in Euro- George Sharabidze, The replacement is
tle. pean tournaments. We were able to hold a very young basketball player, born in
At the beginning of the match with our own against weaker teams, but we 1990, his height however makes up for
“Senchur”, the Georgian team had some chose to play the leading clubs in the Slo- his age, George stands at an impressive
difficulties. Their opponents shot ahead, venian championship to better assess our 2.1m tall.
scoring sixteen points rapidly, but from development needs. The matches in Slo- Thea Kerdzevadze