The Special Operations Forces turned twenty-three today. The ceremony celebrating the establishment of the Special Operations Forces was held at Major Gela Chedia Special Operations Training Center, in Mukhrovani. The event was attended by the Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, Defense Minister Juansher Burchuladze, Chief of the Defense Forces/Major General Giorgi Matiashvili, and representatives of the Defense Forces.

For the invited guests, the personnel of the Special Operations Forces carried out exhibition trainings designed to upgrade management and control by means of integrating combat functions. The drills involved raid, fire coordination, and site clearing, also hostage rescue and site explosion exercises.

After the exhibition trainings, the foundation was laid for the construction of new infrastructural sites of the Special Operations Forces in the territory adjacent to the base. The Prime Minister, the Defense Minister, the Chief of the Defense Forces, and Commander of the Special Operations Forces/Colonel Temur Klateishvili buried a capsule in the building’s foundation. After the completion of construction, the Special Operations Forces will relocate into the new Mukhrovani base. 24 new facilities will be built and 3 old ones will be rehabilitated in all. A command headquarters, barracks, a dining facility, a hospital, a parade ground, a motor pool, and other facilities serving various functions will be built at the initial stage. The following stage envisages the construction of learning, educational, sports, and recreation areas and the territory’s landscaping.

The event concluded with an awarding ceremony of service members. The personnel of the Special Operations Forces were awarded institutional medals Giorgi Antsukhelidze, General Mazniashvili, and Self-Sacrifice for the Homeland, also 1st-, 2nd-, and 3rd-degree medals For Impeccable Service, alongside ordinance weapons and valuable gifts. The personnel received the commander’s unit citation along with certificates of appreciation.

On November 22, 1999, a special operations combat course was launched at the Low-Intensity Military Operations Preparation Center in Kojori. The course was successfully completed by twelve service members, and subsequently the first special operations group was formed. This laid the foundation of the first special military operations unit in Georgia. Since inception, the Special Operations Forces have been actively involved in military actions to defend the country’s territorial integrity, being equally active at various times in protecting peace around the world as part of international missions in Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan.