The U.S. and Georgia begin two-week bilateral military exercises – Immediate Response, on October 24, the U.S. embassy in Tbilisi said in a brief announcement on Friday.

The joint military exercises are part of ongoing U.S. training of Georgian troops to prepare them for the Afghan deployment.

“The program is specifically designed to enhance Georgia’s ability to conduct joint counterinsurgency operations in Afghanistan together with U.S. forces. We commend Georgia for its voluntary contribution of forces to the critical mission in Afghanistan,” the U.S. embassy said.