Georgian contingent accomplishes ISAF mission
By Jamila Babayeva
Military servicemen of the Georgian Armed Forces stationed in Helmand Province, Afghanistan are leaving the Camp Leatherneck.
Closure of the military base under the U.S. command is related to transition of security responsibility to the Afghan National Security forces due to be completed at the end of 2014, when ISAF's mission will end. During the transition period the coalition is shutting down the military bases and downsizing the number of troops, the Georgian Defense Ministry reported.
Accomplishment of ISAF mission was marked with a solemn ceremony at the Camp Leatherneck by the service members of the 23rd Battalion. At the end of mission ceremony they lowered the Georgian state flag. Battalion Sergeant Levan Jangirashvili personally handed over the flag to the Deputy Chief of General Staff Colonel Roman Jokhadze.
23rd Battalion of the II Infantry Brigade was serving at the Camp Leatherneck during four months. The battalion is the last Georgian unit that has served at the military camp along with other Georgian units who served under the Georgian flag during four years on a rotation basis. The Georgian military successfully completed the mission without losses.
Georgia has been assisting the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan since 2004. The contingent of Georgian troops in Afghanistan will be reduced by half from January 1, 2015.