The U.S. is looking for opportunities to increase its participation in an annual joint military exercises with the Georgian troops, commander of U.S. Army forces in Europe, Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, said. 

He made the remarks while speaking on September 7 at an international conference in Tbilisi on Europe’s New Geopolitical Landscape, organized by the McCain Institute for International Leadership in partnership with the Tbilisi-based Economic Policy Research Center.

“Military relationship with Georgia is based on trust, on shared hardship, on service together in Iraq, Afghanistan, so to even call it a partnership would really be an understatement; it’s so much more than just a partnership – that’s a trust that comes from going in combat together,” Lt. Gen. Hodges said.
 
Speaking about the joint U.S.-Georgian military exercises, Noble Partner, which were held at the Vaziani military base outside Tbilisi in May, he said that “quantity” and “frequency” of the U.S. troops’ participation in such drills is increasing.

He said that such drills aim to demonstrate the U.S. “commitment” to Georgia and also to see “how fast” the U.S. troops can move to different parts of Europe.

About 200 U.S. troops, including a company from Italy-based 173rd Airborne Brigade and soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division, participated in the two-week long Noble Partner exercises in May. 14 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles and several wheeled-support vehicles were shipped by the U.S. Army Europe from Bulgaria to Georgia across the Black Sea for the participation in the exercises.

“I am already looking forward to Noble Partner in May of next year. We will increase our participation, [we are] looking for opportunities to put more soldiers here in that exercises with Georgia and put the American soldiers under command of the Georgian commander and of course that’s a demonstration of trust,” the commander of U.S. Army Europe said.

In Tbilisi Lt. Gen. Hodges met Georgia’s Defense Minister Tina Khidasheli and chief of joint staff of the Georgian armed forces, Major General Vakhtang Kapanadze. Issues related to strengthening the U.S.-Georgia military cooperation and increasing the U.S. participation in the joint military exercises were discussed, the Georgian Ministry of Defense said.