DTRA and USEUCOM Partner with Country of Georgia to Strengthen CBRN Capability

Photo By Darnell Gardner | TBILISI, GEORGIA - Members from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) partner with members from the Country of Georgia to strengthen CBRN defense and response capabilities, Tibilis, Georgia. (DTRA Photo cleared for release)  

TBILISI, GEORGIA

04.07.2020

Story by Jessica Lewis 

Defense Threat Reduction Agency

The mission of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN) Preparedness Program, in support of U.S. European Command (USEUCOM), is to train and equip partners to prepare for and respond to incidents involving chemical, biological, and radiological materials, and to contribute to the countering weapons of mass destruction (WMD) mission. In the Country of Georgia, this program works to build capacity and strengthen Georgia’s CBRN defense and response capability.

During the current COVID-19 pandemic, the close cooperation between Georgia and the United States is paying dividends. DTRA-trained and equipped Georgian partners are fighting successfully against the spread of COVID-19. This demonstrates DTRA’s unique role in delivering flexible response capabilities to our partners in Europe and around the globe, enabling our Allies and Partners to reduce the spread of COVID-19. "We stand side by side with the Country of Georgia and all of our Allies and Partners in the European theater during this global pandemic,” said Brigadier General Jessica Meyeraan, Deputy Director of Partnering, Security Cooperation, and Missile Defense, United States European Command. “United States European Command remains committed to the enduring partnership between Georgia and the United States, and we are grateful to the Defense Threat Reduction Agency and the U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi for their partnership on this program." The ongoing train and equip program in Georgia supports the State Security Service, the Ministry of Internal Affairs CBRN Response Unit, and the Ministry of Defense’s CBRN Defense Company to build the capability to domestically respond to WMD and improvised WMD incidents. In concert with this train and equip mission, other DTRA programs have helped our Georgian partners to build their WMD response capacity, increase border security, secure WMD materials, and increase national and regional cooperation in order to thwart WMD trafficking attempts.

Given increased globally instability, whether due to bad actors or naturally occurring pandemics, it is critical that DTRA and USEUCOM continue to build and nurture strong relationships to assist Allies and Partners develop their CBRN response capabilities. Not only will this prepare our Allies and Partners to mitigate the effects of a CBRN or WMD incident, but also enable them to respond to pandemics such as COVID-19 more effectively.

DTRA and USEUCOM remain committed to supporting our Ally and Partner Nations during this pandemic response.

• Date Taken: 04.07.2020
• Date Posted: 04.07.2020 18:03
• Story ID: 366776
• Location: TBILISI, GE