Georgia hosted the three-member Mobile Training Team (MTT) from MARCOM that comprised members from Military Partnership (N9), Special Operations Forces Advisor (SOFAD) and Medical Advisor (MEDAD).
On request by the Georgian Coast Guard (GCG), the MTT held a full day of training sessions including department overview briefs and discussion about Special Operations Forces and Medical operations in the maritime domain.
Partnership is a core mission of NATO Maritime Command. This visit is one more firm step in our historical and continuous partnership between NATO and Georgia
Twenty-two Georgian Coast Guard (GCG) personnel participated in the training. Those personnel make up the two GCG Boarding Teams that attained full NATO certification through the Operational Capabilities Concept Evaluation and Feedback (OCC E&F) program. The teams are scheduled to deploy in support of Operation Sea Guardian (OSG) later this year.
NATO’s ongoing military partnership initiative took a delegation from NATO Maritime Command (MARCOM) in Northwood to Batumi, Georgia, to conduct training under a capacity building initiative with partner nations from July 17-19.
Georgia is the only Operational Partner (OP) to Operation Sea Guardian in the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) area of responsibility, and the first Partner to complete Operational Capabilities Concept (OCC) and deploy its forces in support of OSG.
Georgian Coast Guard senior leadership received the MTT lead, U.S. Navy Commander Brandon Smith, for staff talks at the GCG Headquarters in Poti, Georgia. Topics of discussion included the upcoming OSG deployment, the status of GCG participation in upcoming NATO maritime exercises, and the intention of the GCG to maintain a permanently assigned Liaison Officer to OSG at MARCOM headquarters in Northwood. The GCG reaffirmed their commitment to NATO partnership, OSG operations, and future exercise participation.
“Partnership is a core mission of NATO Maritime Command,” Smith said. “As we adjust to the evolving operational environment in the Black Sea, it is more important than ever that we maintain deep, personal connections to our Partners in the region, especially those that maintain the political and military ambition to progress through the years-long OCC process and contribute forces to NATO operations. This visit is one more firm step in our historical and continuous partnership between NATO and Georgia.”
MARCOM is the central command of all NATO maritime forces and the MARCOM Commander is the primary maritime advisor to the Alliance. Like its land and air counterparts (LANDCOM and AIRCOM), MARCOM reports directly to NATO's Allied Command Operations (ACO), which is located in Mons, Belgium.