Georgia looks to establish professional NCO Corps

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The Non-Commissioned Officer Corps (NCO) is often referred to as “the backbone” of the armed services. NCOs are the primary and most visible leaders for the bulk of service personnel – the enlisted officers and military servants – as not a single commander has such close contact with corporals as NCOs. NCOs are the primary military leaders responsible for executing the military organization’s mission and training military personnel.

In the Georgian armed forces, the preparation of professional NCO is provided by the NCO School founded in 2003 in Gori. The school later moved from Gori to the Krtsanisi National Training Center. Since March 1, 2007, the school has been an independent military educational institution subordinate to the Educational Command of the Joint Staff.

At the first stage, the NCO School only provided training for section commanders. Today, the functions of the educational institution have considerably increased. According to the chief of the NCO School, Capt. Zurab Khvichia, the institution is responsible for training and retraining section commanders and platoon sergeants for military units. Three training courses are currently offered – a basic training course for section commanders of light infantry specialties, a platoon sergeants course and a transformation course for personnel who have not yet passed the needed training courses.

The school’s curriculum fully corresponds with NATO standards. The methodology and program is mainly German-based, but tailored to Georgian specifics and adjusted to the regulations of the Georgian armed forces. Students begin with theoretical training and then gain practical experience on the field. Future sergeants learn to assemble and disassemble a weapon. They also have a green season with day and night marches on various training grounds in Kojori, Krtsanisi and Shavnabada.

Khvichia said the major goal of the NCO School is to form a professional corps equipped with the necessary theoretical knowledge and skills required from instructors.

Germany has played an important role in the development of the NCO School. In 2006, the German Infantry School of Hammelburg and NCO School concluded a partnership agreement to intensify cooperation between the military educational institutions of the two countries.

Cooperation between Georgia and Germany began much earlier. In 1995, over 350 officers and NCOs were trained in Germany. The Georgian peacekeeping contingent that performed the mission in Kosovo and Afghanistan were also retrained in Germany.

Since 2003, Germany has a permanent representative at the Defense Ministry with the mission to strengthen bilateral cooperation between the countries and take an active part in establishing a professional NCO corps.

Defense Today talked about this and other important issues to German Military Adviser Bernhard Hopp.

Bernhard Hopp: Other NATO countries mainly render assistance to Georgia in terms of the preparation of officers’ corps. The German side expressed a willingness and readiness to participate in the creation of a NCO corps. In order to have professional sergeants, it is necessary to provide qualified training. Thus, the German side decided to support the establishment of the NCO School and its development. We are working intensively in this direction even today.

A: We assist the NCO School in all directions, but namely raising the qualifications of the personnel in Germany and developing curriculum and methodology. Germany also provides material assistance to the Georgian armed forces. Various vehicles have been transferred to the Georgian side, such as cars, high mobility vehicles and ambulances.

A: I think military servicemen should receive the rank of sergeant only after passing special courses at the NCO School. The study process must be standardized as well. The officers and sergeants are not prepared according to the same standards. All this hinders coordinated activities.

A: The multinational exercises, Cooperative Longbow and Cooperative Lancer, demonstrated that the sergeants who trained at the NCO School at section level successfully performed their tasks. Providing preparation for NCOs in various specialties is also a priority. Some time ago, the curriculum was developed. This summer, we plan to launch sergeant artillery, communications, engineering, tank and mechanized infantry courses to support the professional development of the NCOs. Generally speaking, the practical skills and abilities of sergeants prepared at the NCO School are at the highest level and correspond with NATO standards.

Eka Gakhokidze

2.10.2009