Georgian troops joins ISAF mission in Afghanistan
By Nazrin Gadimova
Georgia's soldiers of the Third Infantry Brigade's 31st Battalion and the separate infantry battalion of Batumi begin to carry out tasks within the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan.
The Georgian Defense Ministry reported that the soldiers have already arrived in the Afghan province of Helmand.
The Georgian troops have been trained for six month at the National Training Center "Krtsanisi" to participate in the ISAF peacekeeping mission,n They also visited the German town of Hohenfels, where they have been trained to conduct counter-insurgency operations (COIN), preparation, preservation and security of the battlefield in the U.S. Joint Multinational Readiness Center (JMRC).
Georgia as a significant contributor to the Euro-Atlantic security is closely involved in NATO-led operations and its contribution to the ISAF operation in Afghanistan is of significant importance. Presently Georgia is the second largest troop contributor to Afghanistan among the non-NATO states.