US begins flying Georgian troops home from Iraq

AP ^ | 11.08.2008 | KIM GAMEL

[lizol]

US begins flying Georgian troops home from Iraq

By KIM GAMEL

BAGHDAD (AP) — The U.S. military began flying 2,000 Georgian troops home from Iraq on Sunday, military officials said, after the Georgians recalled the soldiers following the outbreak of fighting with Russia in the breakaway province of South Ossetia.

The decision was a timely payback for the former Soviet republic that has been a staunch U.S. supporter and agreed to send troops to Iraq as part of the U.S.-led coalition.

Georgia was the third-largest contributor of coalition forces after the U.S. and Britain, and most of its troops were stationed near the Iranian border in southeastern Iraq.

The U.S. military has played down concerns about the redeployment, saying it may have "some impact" in the near term but no significant long-term effect on Iraq's security.

"We want to thank them for the great support they've given the coalition and we wish them well," military spokesman Rear Adm. Patrick Driscoll said earlier Sunday at a news conference.

Georgia, which borders the Black Sea between Turkey and Russia, had asked the U.S. military on Friday to provide transportation.

"We are supporting the Georgian military units that are in Iraq in their redeployment to Georgia so that they can support requirements there during the current security situation," said Col. Jerry O'Hara, another military spokesman in Baghdad. "Flights have in fact begun today and Georgian forces are redeploying."

He declined to disclose flight details. But another senior U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to release the information, said the military would fly the troops back "to the republic of Georgia.

[lizol]

Eastern European ping list

---

FRmail me to be added or removed from this Eastern European ping list

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

Ping!

[Krankor]

Mmmmm....this is probably one of the few times troops would rather be in Iraq.

[shield]

Wonder how many of our military advisers are with them?

[Natchez Hawk]

They’ll arrive home in time only for reconstruction.

[joseph20]

It’s the US Air Force. They will land whereve the F they want to!

[Viking2002]

Our flying Georgian reinforcements back in ought to get Pootie-poot's knickers in a knot. LOL

[bvw]

They might need AWACS and some long thin white arrows underwing.

[Repeal The 17th]

“...this is probably one of the few times
troops would rather be in Iraq...”
- - -
words escape me...

[JadeEmperor]

An interesting perspective about Georgian troops: http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?t=132442&page=2

"While they may dress in uniforms similar to the US, and some of them have US weapons, they aren't even close to US troops. Of the Georgian units I've seen, only the Commandos had any disciple. The regular units had SERIOUS disciple problems. They stole any and everything they could get a hold of, including the radio and antenna mount off of the HMMWV the NCOIC of their MiTT was driving. When confronted, their commander claimed innocence until the NCOIC told them they would get nothing else from the US military until his equipment was returned. So it "magically" appeared that night. In Kuwait, they were routinely caught steeling from other units, they broke into shipping containers to steel MREs, and uniforms, many of them got caught steeling form the PX, they set several structures on fire because they were smoking in no smoking areas, etc., etc. Until they can get their sh*t together, there's no way in hell they should be allowed into NATO."

[Camel Joe]

I doubt very much you could find one in those two thousand who would agree with you. They are I am certain very eager to get home, it is where their families are. Sorry, but that was a very inconsiderate thing to put post.

[Centurion2000]

Very interesting perspective.

[shield]

We’ll help kinda like the Israeli strike on Syria.

[Camel Joe]

I found some but they are not the words I would have liked to use.

[dljordan]

“Um... where are they going to land? Russia bombed Georgia’s airstrips.”

Further, what happens when the Russians shoot one down?

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

It’s the US Air Force. They will land whereve the F they want to!
~~~
Think,,,RUNWAY!...

[lizol]

Sad thing to say, but I've found a similar comment:

I wish there were no Georgian soldiers in Iraq at all!
That may sound gibberish, Georgian soldiers deployed in Iraq neglect their military duties!
Hello! My name's Mike. I was doing my second service in Baghdad, Iraq when I was "lucky" to work with Georgian soldiers. To be honest, I was ruing that day! King's bad bargain, they were absolutely indisciplined, disorderly and noisy! Cowards and clodpoles! What was the worst thing, they disobeyed orders! I've never seen anything of the kind! During my two periods I worked with Poles, Italians, Brits. They all are different of course, some of them were trained better, but they all were doing their duty quite well in a responsible manner. As for Georgian, I can't even imagine anyone making terms with them! They are crotchety, sometimes defiant. If they don't want to carry out an order, they just pretend they don't speak English! That was so irritating! Every time they did it, we reported to a superior, but they couldn't help it either! After all it went merely absurd. Georgia's deputy defense minister Batu Kutelia came to Iraq from Georgia to make inspection and turn Georgian soldiers around! Such a shame and disgrace to them! To be honest, I wish that Georgian soldiers never came to Iraq. They are not the ones I would dare to be relied upon. I was nearly shot thanks to one of them as he did not cover my advance! After that I was about to kill him with my own hands…. I would have done it if it had not been for military commission!

http://www.militarytimes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1566364

[Unlikely Hero]

Hopefully, that doesn’t happen.