Two years ago the idea of sending Georgian soldiers overseas as aid to American-led wars would have been laughable. The state of the military had degraded to the point of near mutiny in May 2001, after lacking basic necessities like new uniforms and enough food. According to statements made by then defense minister Davit Tevzadze in March of that year, the soldiers had not received salaries in over a year. The defense department was reportedly receiving less than 20% of funds promised by the budget that year.

The outlook for the Georgian military brightened somewhat in 2002, when the United States, in response to the allegations that al-Qaeda terrorists were hiding in the Pankisi gorge, sent soldiers as part of a Train-and-Equip Program. The program, along with substantial aid, was planned to train almost 2,000 Georgian soldiers in preparation for border control and counter-terrorism. It included the modernization of equipment and facilities and was slated originally for six months, although it continued through 2004 and resulted in the training of more than 2,000 soldiers. In November this year, after Saakashvili pledged to increase the Georgian presence in Iraq from 159 soldiers to over 800, the United States agreed to continue assisting the Georgian military. The president, speaking in a press conference on November 4, stated that the U.S. military would help train Georgian troops for peace-keeping missions. Although there was no clear breakdown of how much the United States pledged or what the program would consist of, the U.S. has according to statements by defense minister Giorgi Baramidze already promised around $15 million for military spending in Georgia and that amount might increase due to the new program.

The training program is just part of the reforms currently taking place. In a November speech to college students, traditionally a group subject to a two-year draft, Saakashvili announced plans to eventually convert the conscript army into one made up of professional soldiers on a contract basis. There was no date given for the change.

One step already taken to bring the Georgian military in line with requirements for NATO membership was the absorption of the troops working in the Interior Ministry into the Defense Ministry, which brings the total number of soldiers to 23,000. According to Baramidze, current reforms call for a total of 17,000 soldiers. He also mentioned that some troop reductions have already occurred. Baramidze did not go into specific details of the reform but said that all plans were geared at creating ‘the establishment of a real army in the country, instead of troops without uniforms, salaries, weapons and training, as it was previously.’ He highlighted the importance of the reforms for achieving NATO membership.

While Saakashvili has been less than specific about the exact nature of the reforms slated for the Georgian military, Baramidze stated that a survey is being made of the country’s defense system, which is thought to be completed in 2005, and currently work is undertaken to ascertain what sort of military will be best for the country. Although current reforms, in conjunction with the Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP), are slotted to end in 2007, the minister was quick to add that reforms would be ongoing.

Although the exact model for the ideal Georgian military remains under investigation, the current threats to Georgia are crystal clear. Days after the budget was announced, a Russian newspaper, Nezavisimaya Gazeta, claimed that terrorists still existed in Pankisi Gorge, and that Russia was poised to take action in the name of counter-terrorism. While the Georgian ambassador to Russia, Valery Chechelashvili, and Minister Baramidze have denied these claims, the incident underscores the political moves Russia continues to play toward its smaller neighbor. The fact that Russia still maintains two army bases on Georgian territory has done little to alleviate fears Russia still harbors a wish to maintain control of the country. The OSCE border monitoring along the Russian/Georgian border ends this month and Russian officials have stated they are not interested in continuing the program. The monitoring has historically provided Georgia with a buffer to fend off Russian allegations of terrorists along the border.

In South Ossetia, the violence has been downscaled since Georgian and Ossetian troops engaged in battles over the summer, but on December 1, the Georgian government accused South Ossetia of new military maneuvers. Those allegations were denied, but the president of the breakaway republic, Eduard Kokoev, traveled to Moscow on December 8 and appeared in the Russian Duma. He warned that fighting would break out again between South Ossetia and Georgia and asked that Russia again consider the South Ossetian plea to officially become part of the country. Similar actions this summer lead the more than decade-old conflict to a head, although Georgia has since pledged to use peaceful means in bringing about a resolution.

There is no doubt that the new, modernizing state of the Georgian military – and continuous training – is adding strength to Saakashvili’s calls for a united Georgia. This past May, to celebrate the Georgian Independence Day on May 26, a full military parade was held in Tbilisi. Another show of military strength took place in Batumi. The president’s speech to the National Movement party on November 22 was full of bellicose statements on the need to obtain unity throughout Georgia, including Abkhazia and South Ossetia no matter the cost. “There should be no doubt that Abkazia must be regained and that Georgia’s territorial integrity must be restored,” he said. “We will sacrifice whatever it takes to make Georgia free and win.” While he also spoke about the importance of good relations with all nations, the large sums reportedly budgeted for defense provides a loud exclamation point behind Saakashvili’s words.