2006 Embassy Events
U.S. Army Soldiers Take the Reigns in the SSOP II Mission
KRTSANISI, Republic of Georgia – U.S. Army Task Force GSSOP II participated with the Georgian 31st Light Infantry Battalion on 17 July 2006 in an official opening ceremony. The ceremony officially kicked off the beginning of the Georgian Sustainment and Stability Operations Program II. In attendance at the ceremony was the honorable U.S Ambassador John Tefft, the Georgian Minister of Defense, Mr. Irakli Okruashvili, and many other distinguished guests.
Task Force GSSOP II is commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Craig Jones with First Sergeant Johnny Shaw as the Senior Noncommissioned Officer in Charge. The 65 member Task Force is comprised mainly of U.S. Army Soldiers from the Joint Multi-National Readiness Center located in Hohenfels, Germany. The JMRC is the premier combat training center in the U.S. Army. The JMRC trains U.S. Army Soldiers and NATO forces for deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, and other parts of the world for combat and peacekeeping operations. The Task Force arrived in the Republic of Georgia with their premier Soldiers ready to make a difference.
GSSOP II is the mature end of a flexible, time phased training program that began as the Georgian Train and Equip Program back in May 2002. The program demonstrates the United States commitment and friendship with the people of the Republic of Georgia. U.S Army Europe and U.S. European Command have command and control of the mission, and are dedicated to see the program through fruition.
In his closing remarks, Lieutenant Colonel Jones’ final words were, “Train to Win.” This is the motto for the 7th U.S. Army Joint Multi-National Training Command and the Joint Multi-National Training Center. These words are engraved on every warrior and leader that trains in the Grafenwoehr/Hohenfels training communities. The words will soon be engraved on the soldiers of the Georgian 31st Infantry Battalion.
Release Date: 21 July 2006
By U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Jeffrey R. Craig
Georgia Sustainment and Stability Operations Program II, Personnel Chief
