US, Georgian militaries kick off Exercise Agile Spirit 2021

  • Published
  • U.S. Army Europe and Africa Public Affairs

Agile Spirit 2021 is a Georgian Defence Forces and U.S. Army Europe and Africa cooperatively-led joint multinational exercise occurring July 26 through Aug 6, 2021.

The brigade-level exercise will incorporate a simulated command post exercise, field training and joint multinational battalion-level combined arms live-fire exercises. Working together, multiple nations will practice live-fire exercises using various weapons and respond to simulated exercises.  Agile Spirit 2021 enhances U.S., Georgian, allied and regional partner forces’ readiness and interoperability in a realistic training environment. The training taking place during Agile Spirit ensures that U.S., Allied and Partnered Nations maintain our conventional deterrence capability with a combination of combat-ready forward forces. 

Approximately 2,500 military personnel from 15 allied and partner forces will participate from the following nations: Georgia (host nation), Estonia, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Italy, and Azerbaijan. 

Of the military personnel, about 700 are U.S. service members, around 1,600 are Georgian personnel, and approximately 250 are from other participating nations.

The exercise will take place in three training locations within Georgia, Vaziani Training Area (VTA), near Tbilisi; Orpholo Training Area (OTA) near Akhaltsikhe; and Senaki Air Base.

United States units participating include USARUR-AF, 21st TSC, 7th Army Training Command (7th ATC), 173 Brigade Combat Team (A) (Airborne BN), 1 Infantry Division Combat Aviation Brigade, Georgia Army National Guard, United States Air Force Europe, and United States Navy Europe.  

The following events during the exercise are open for media to attend:

  • 26 July – Opening Ceremony - Senaki Air Base
  • 27 July – Multinational battalion, company and platoon Live Fire Exercises – Orpholo and Vaziani Training Areas
  • On or about 26 July – Joint Forcible Entry – Vaziani Training Areas
  • 30 July through 2 Aug – Command Post Exercise – Senaki Air Base
  • 6 August  –  Combined Arms Live Fire (CALFX) – Orpholo
  • 6 August – Closing Ceremony - Orpholo & Vaziani Training Areas

For questions about U.S. Army Europe and Africa support of exercise Agile Spirit 21, please email usarmyeurope.mediadesk@mail.mil. Media representatives interested in covering Agile Spirit 21 events in Georgia should contact the Georgia Ministry of Defence at pr@mod.gov.ge by July 25, 2021at 17:00 GMT local time with the following information:

  • Name
  • Media organization
  • Position
  • Event you wish to attend
  • ID/passport number
  • Cell number

First conducted in Georgia in 2011, Agile Spirit was an annual U.S. Marine Forces Europe & Africa exercise between U.S. and the Georgian military forces. Beginning in 2019, Agile Spirit transitioned to a biennial U.S. Army Europe and Africa exercise, part of U.S. European Command’s Joint Exercise Program executed in odd number years. Two major objectives have stayed consistent throughout each iteration: increasing interoperability among participating nation militaries and strengthening regional security cooperation.