Georgian soldiers stand ready for the opening ceremony

Georgian soldiers stand ready for the opening ceremony for Exercise Noble Partner 16, May 11, at Vaziani Training Area, Georgia. The ceremony included static displays of multinational soldiers and their equipment, airborne operations and speeches from senior officials, including Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili. The exercise is taking place May 11 to 26 and includes approximately 1300 participants from the U.S., Georgia and the U.K. The exercise is a reoccurring training event that is taking place at Vaziani Training Area, Georgia. Noble Partner 16 is a critical part of Georgia's training for its contribution of a light infantry company to the NATO Response Force (NRF) and enhances Georgian territorial self-defense capability.