National Guard of Georgia

The National Guard of Georgia (NG) (საქართველოს ეროვნული გვარდია, sak'art'velos erovnuli gvardia) is a military structure within the Georgian Armed Forces and has a department status within the Ministry of Defense. It is tasked with responding to external threats, civil disturbances, and natural disasters. The GNG is also responsible for the mobilization of reservists.

History
The GNG was established on December 20, 1990 after President Zviad Gamsakhurdia ordered the creation of Georgian Armed Forces and held the first military parade on Boris Paichadze Stadium. Tengiz Kitovani was appointed as the head of GNG.

GNG was mainly manned by volunteers and more experienced Georgian officers who were serving in Soviet Army at the time and returned to Georgia to serve in newly created Georgian Army. Thus, it became the first national military formation in then-Soviet Georgia which would later provide the basis for the regular armed forces.

Almost from its birth, the National Guard became directly involved in Georgian politics. In August 1991, soon after its foundation, GNG was split between supporters of Gamsakhurdia and Kitovani. Split happened after Kitovani announced that the president was about to dissolve Georgian Army. Kitovani and his supporters left the barracks and stationed near Tbilisi. They joined Prime Minister Tengiz Sigua and the paramilitary leader Jaba Ioseliani during Georgian Civil War which begun in December 1991. Remaining parts of the GNG retained their loyalty towards Gamsakhurdia.

Units of the National Guard were a major paramilitary force to have fought in the Georgian Civil War, South Ossetian and Abkhazian conflicts in the early 1990s.

Current status


According to US EUCOM recommendations new role and functions were determined to the National Guard and structural changes were done. Since 2000s GNG doesn’t include military units any more and is rather focused on reserve system and support of the civil government during crisis.

The main missions of National Guard are:


 * 1) Support civil government in crisis situations (natural, technological, ecological);
 * 2) Register mobilization recourses, study and deliver;
 * 3) Convene, select and man of citizens on the basis of the agreement, for the units, subunits and bases of the Armed Forces;
 * 4) Provide ceremony activities.

The National Guard of Georgia currently consists of 554 veteran personnel and is commanded by Major Rati Tsakadze.