U.S. Marines kick off Agile Spirit 15

Photo By Staff Sgt. Rebecca Floto | Forces stand in formation for the opening ceremony of Agile Spirit 15, a multilateral exercise at Vaziani Training Area, Georgia, July 8, 2015. This fifth iteration of the Agile Spirit exercise was established to exercise interoperability with capacity to conduct planning and execution in support of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Response Force operations with U.S., Georgian Armed, Bulgaria, Romania, Latvia, and Lithuania forces. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Rebecca L. Floto, 2nd Marine Division, Combat Camera/ Released)  

VAZIANI TRAINING AREA, GEORGIA

07.08.2015

Story by Cpl. Ryan Young 

U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Europe and Africa     

VAZIANI TRAINING AREA, Georgia - Exercise Agile Spirit 2015 officially kicked off during a ceremony July 8 at Vaziani Training Area, Georgia.

More than 250 Marines and sailors from 10th Marine Regiment and Black Sea Rotational Force are participating in the multilateral exercise from July 8-22.

Exercise Agile Spirit is an exercise involving a NATO Response Force level combined operation. This exercise utilizes a scenario under simulation that incorporates a wide range of planning and execution challenges during a command post exercise and a field training exercise.

The Marines are partnering with armed forces from Georgia, Romania, Latvia, Lithuania and Bulgaria to complete the exercise. Soldiers from the nations stood side-by-side during the opening ceremony as leaders from the nations spoke.

“Over the course of the next two weeks, Exercise Agile Spirit will continue to support our growing partnerships and strengthen the bonds between 2nd Marine Division with the fine fighting forces of our partner nations,” said Col. Clifford J. Weinstein, commanding officer of 10th Marine Regiment.

Service members from each nation will be training together in different events, including live-fire and patrolling, as well as a command post exercise.

“I do believe that initiating training will render the biggest friendship,” said Major General Vakhtang Kapanadze, Chief of General Staff of the Georgian Armed Forces. “I want to wish the success of each and every representative I see in front of me, both on Georgian soil and whatever ground you train on.”

• Date Taken: 07.08.2015
• Date Posted: 07.09.2015 09:19
• Story ID: 169496
• Location: VAZIANI TRAINING AREA, GE