U.S. to send military trainers to Georgia for Afghan mission

WASHINGTON, US

The Pentagon confirmed Friday that it is sending a team of trainers to Georgia to instruct a Georgian battalion which will be deployed to Afghanistan next year. Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman told reporters at a briefing here that the U.S. trainers will arrive in Georgia on Monday to instruct a Georgian battalion with 750 soldiers. 

“Georgia wants to be part of the international effort in Afghanistan. We want to help them get ready,” a Pentagon official told reporters on the condition of anonymity. U.S. officials stressed that they have consulted with Moscow over the issue to avoid any misunderstanding.

The training mission will formally starts Sept. 1 and the number of U.S. trainers will be 60-70. Pentagon had similar training mission in Georgia last year but it was suspended after Georgia was involved in a military conflict with Russia.