Commander of U.S. Army in Europe Visits Tbilisi

• Thursday, July 19, 16:45

Tbilisi. The U.S. Army Europe Commanding General Lt. Gen. Mark P.  Hertling was paying an official visit to Georgia on July 17.  Georgian Minister of Defence Dimitri Shashkini received the U.S. Lieutenant General on Tuesday, July 17, the press-service of the Defence Ministry reported.

According to the ministry's statement, issues of bilateral cooperation between the U.S. and Georgia were discussed at the meeting. The focus was made on military education, trainings and military doctrines development. The sides also touched upon the participation of Georgian military servicemen in the ISAF mission. Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling extended appreciation to the Georgian side for its contribution to the NATO peacekeeping mission.  Mark Hertling also met with Deputy Defence Minister Maia Siprashvili-Lee, Chief of Join Staff Lieutenant General  Devi Chankotadze and other high rank military officials. In the framework of the visit, he attended the workshop organized for the Georgian soldiers by the United States Joint Multinational Readiness Center  (JMRC) and CUBIC.

                As the U.S. Embassy  reported earlier, the Commanding General of U.S. Army Europe is responsible for coordinating U.S. Army operations across the 51 countries in his area of responsibility. U.S. Army Europe trains and leads Army Forces in support of U.S. European Command and Headquarters by training and preparing forces for global employment. In addition, U.S. Army Europe strengthens alliances and builds partner capacity and capability, including through its training for all Georgian soldiers deployed to Afghanistan who participate in a four-week training exercise in Hohenfels, Germany as part of their pre- deployment training.

                Prior to becoming Commander of U.S. Army Europe, Lt. Gen. Hertling served as Deputy Commanding General for the U.S. Army's Training and Doctrine Command and Initial Military Training. Prior to that, he was Commander of the 1st Armored Division, during which he spent the majority of his time deployed in Iraq.  Lieutenant General Mark Hertling will leave Georgia on July 18.