Modern and NATO standards compatible military education development leads to the increase of the Georgian Defence Forces (GDF) capabilities and ensures effective participation of Georgian military contingent in the international peace-keeping operations. A number of educated specialists (private, corporal, sergeant, officer) play an extremely important role in ensuring GDF development.
The centers/schools within the Command provide full-spectrum training of the specialists (private, corporal, sergeant, officer) as well as basic combat, mountain, sergeant and pre-deployment training/retraining. In 2015 The Training and Military Education Command had its first graduation leave of Junior Officers Training Specialization Course by branches.
The Command development vision is based on the priorities established by national strategic documents, NATOmain programs and the responsibilities identified in bilateral cooperation agreements reached with the partner states.
The mission of the Command is to train, retrain and evaluate professional military personnel and units, that are compatible with modern standards for GAF; To train NATO and partner states military personnel within the framework of “Partnership for Peace’’ (PfP) program and bilateral military cooperation plans.
The main goal of the Command is to ensure military training institutions, institutional base, and organizational development; to train/retrain professional, highly-qualified personnel compatible with international standards. To train specialists in military training centers and schools; To develop military doctrines; To support and participate in national and international exercises planned in GAF; Predeployment training/retraining of the units to participate in international missions.
2016-2020 Priorities
Training and Military Education System Reform
One of the main goals of the reform is a full and unconditional implementation of one of the core initiatives of the Substantial NATO-Georgia Package (SNGP) from North Atlantic Treaty Organization Wales Summit, 2014. The initiative implies NATO-Georgia Joint Training and Evaluation Center (JTEC) establishment and development, as well as the transformation of the current military education system, which means shifting to so-called “School Principles’’ approved and accepted in many leading countries of the world and Combined Arms Center establishment/development for this purpose.
- NATO-Georgian Joint Training and Evaluation Center (JTEC) Establishment and Further Development
NATO-Georgian Joint Training and Evaluation Center (JTEC) establishment is one of the significant projects of the Substantial NATO-Georgia Package (SNGP). The center is being established on the base of the Training and Military Education Command National Training Center “Krtsanisi’’. The main function of the center is to train and evaluate/certify Georgian and partner state military units as well as to host and support NATO bilateral and multinational military trainings. Further development of NATO-Georgian Joint Training and Evaluation Center (JTEC) will considerably increase national security capabilities and promote the implementation of NATO “Partnership Interoperability Initiative’’.
- Establishment/Development of the Combined Arms Center - integration of military schools in a single area
The establishment of this center and integration and further development of schools is important for institutionalizing the educational process in the Georgian Defence Forces to get desired results with less expenditure. Integration of schools (maneuver, combat support, combat service support, aviation, and air defence and capitan career schools) into a single area ensures the increase of combat readiness of the Georgian Defence Forces and will lead to a significant saving of human and financial resources and will significantly enhance the learning quality. Establishment and development of the Combined Arms Training Center is an important precondition for Junior Officers, NCOs and Corporals/Privates preparation, which is based on Military Occupational Specialty in accordance with common standards.
One of the most important priorities in the Combined Arms Center further development phase is the establishment of International Captain Courses within Captain Career School. If the aforementioned is accomplished, Combined Arms Center will be given an opportunity to invite and give the appropriate education to the composition of the Junior Officers of not only the Georgian Defence Forces but also of the partner countries. All this is due to the fact that the military education process in the Captain Career School and in the entire Combined Arms Center will be carried out by the implementation of existing NATO standards.
- Establishment of Training and Military Education Support Center
The reason to carry out this part of the reform is that one logistical element – The training and Military Education Support Center -conducts logistical support of Combined Arms Center, NATO-Georgian JTEC, Doctrine Development Center and TMEC HQ which also leads to a significant saving of human and financial resources. - Cancellation of the Armoured Training Center – Integration of the appropriate structural units and material assets in the relevant structural units of the Combined Arms Center and Basic Combat Training Center
Taking into account the principle of functioning of military schools in a single area, the schools in the Armoured Training Center will be completely integrated into the Combined Arms Center. In the transition stage, the Armored Training Center will support the Combined Arms Center with both human and logistics resources. Finally, the process will be completed by moving the center schools to the Maneuver School and headquarters and CSS elements will join BCT center in Akhalkalaki. - BCT center in Akhalkalaki
The BCT center, as an independent structural unit, was established in 2013 and is directly subordinated to the Training and Military Education Command. Designation of Akhalkalaki as a permanent location of the newly created center is caused by the considerable factor that, due to the requirements of the Defence Forces, the Center should be able to prepare 2000 recruits annually, who in compliance with the challenges of the Georgian Defence Forces will further ensure higher level accomplishment of the task. Besides, the existence of a training center in the region will contribute to the popularization of Georgian Defence Forces in the local population.
- Establishment of NCO Command and Staff Course
The establishment of NCO Command and Staff Course is a continuation of ongoing reforms that serve to create professional and highly qualified NCO Corps of the Georgian Defence Forces. The course represents the 3rd level of NCO military-professional education. With the establishment of the NCO Command and Staff Course, the NCO personnel of the Georgian Defence Forces will be able to improve their qualification and their leadership skills. Graduates will be able to support the chain of command of battalion and brigade level. This will increase the combat readiness of the Georgian Defence Forces. After the establishment of NCO Command and Staff Course NCO Training Center will be transformed into NCO Academy.
Establishment of the Doctrine Development Center and its further development
Retention of constant combat readiness in the Georgian Defence Forces and enhancement of combat training significantly depends on the improvement of military doctrine development process, which involves:
- Establishment of the Doctrine Development Center
Based on the requirements and priorities of the Georgian Defence Forces, the Doctrine Center provides the entire system of development of the doctrinal manuals and represents lessons learned during training. Center also provides full involvement of intellectual resources and experiences of the relevant branch schools in the doctrine development process. - Synchronization of doctrine development and implementation process
The overall synchronization between Doctrine Development Center, Military schools and units of appropriate profile ensures the process of development and implementation of doctrines, that are tailored to the current reality and are continuously updating. This will contribute greatly to the readiness of GAF units in conducting the assigned mission and will ensure an appropriate response to the challenges of the Defence Forces.
Implementation of modern, NATO compatible training, education and evaluation methods
In the process of adaptation with modern volatile environment and requirements, constant update of training, education and evaluation methods according to international standards is essential. This can be accomplished by the analysis of the learning process, systematization of planning, performance, monitoring, and evaluation of learning programs and intensification of constant cooperation with subject matter experts of NATO and partner states.
- Sequential sustainment of training, education and evaluation process
To ensure effective educational process, the focus should be made on implementation and development of effective management mechanisms, reasonable distribution of resources, the constant development of intellectual resources, refinement of military educational programs, improvement of educational assets and implementation and development of modern methods and technologies of learning and evaluation. It is essential to pay special attention to the continuous cycle of scientific attitude to the development of educational programs in the military educational institutions, which involves analysis, planning (design), development, performance, and evaluation. - Intensification of cooperation with NATO and partner states military educational institutions
According to international standards, in the process of continuous update of training, education and evaluation methods, it is essential to consider experiences of appropriate military educational programs and institutes of NATO and partner states. According to modern requirements, an international collaboration focused on the support of current capabilities, will greatly improve the quality of education in the military educational institutions under the subordination of the Training and Military Education Command. This will lead to the compatibility of GAF with NATO and its success in the joint operations. In this light, the Training and Military Education Command extends cooperation with highly qualified institutes, such as NATO Defense Education Enhance Programme - DEEP.
Infrastructure and material assets development
The development of infrastructure and material assets is a firm precondition of the sequential and ongoing military educational processes and using modern methods and technologies in teaching and training. Equipment of training centers and schools by infrastructure and material assets of modern standards is especially important to ensure compatibility with the military educational processes with NATO standards. Accordingly, it is necessary to conduct the following events by the reasonable distribution of available financial resources:
- Development of infrastructure of the modern standard, range layout
Special focus should be made on the timely and efficient maintenance of available facilities (barracks, classes and lecture halls, dining facilities, pitches, and gyms), completion of current constructions and their equipment with necessary inventory; it is also essential to arrange training ranges and firing ranges according to modern standards. - Modernization of training material assets
To ensure an efficient learning process, it is essential to equip military centers and schools with modern training material assets. This involves a constant update of available library and permanent support of the learning process with printed material. It is also essential to offer the customers a flexible electronic catalog of the library; besides, automatization of reception and graduation exams according to modern standards is important.
According to the requirements and priorities of GAF, the Training and Military Education Command will continue the sequential and continuous development process. Reforms in the training and military education system are conducted synchronously and steadily to meet the challenges of permanently volatile nature according to the modern technology development process. Constant renovation of modern, NATO compatible methods, enhancement of military doctrine development process and modernization of infrastructure and material assets is a firm precondition of complete compatibility of GAF with the standards of North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which will lead to enhancement of defense capabilities of the country, as well as increase of the role and importance of GAF in Euro-Atlantic partnership.
