Spread out on a series of hills overlooking a shallow valley, a handful of Georgian soldiers scanned the horizon, squinting in the bright sun. They knew an attack was coming, it was only a matter of when. Their mission was to set up a communications post in this training area in western Georgia and maintain a signal for 48 hours.
At their base 10 kilometres (six miles) away, another team of Georgian soldiers, a reconnaissance unit, was making plans to sneak up on the post after nightfall for a mock attack.
Looking on, 2nd Lieutenant Andrea Wilson of the US Army National Guard flashed a proud smile. "They've done well, it's a good defensible position," said Wilson, who came to this mountainous country from its namesake, the US state of Georgia, to train local soldiers for what could be the most dangerous mission of their careers.
Incredible as it may seem, this tiny, ex-Soviet country is about to become one of the US military's top allies in Iraq. Starting next month, Georgia will begin to deploy the first of 2,000 soldiers it is sending to Iraq this year, more than double the 850 now serving in the US-led coalition there.
It is a sizeable contribution for such a small country. With a population of only 4.7 million, Georgia will become the largest contributor of forces to Iraq per capita after the United States. If South Korean troops pull out by the end of this year, as they are now slated to do, it will also be the second-largest US partner in Iraq after Britain.
"To the rest of the world, 2,000 soldiers may not seem like a lot, but for a small country like Georgia it's a major contribution," Wilson said. "It's really encouraging."
US officials have praised Georgia's increased contribution as evidence that despite other countries pulling out of Iraq, the war continues to enjoy international support. "Obviously it's important to have allies and friends help out (in Iraq)," said the US ambassador to Georgia, John Tefft. "It sends a very strong symbolic political signal."
Unlike in previous missions in Iraq, when Georgian soldiers were restricted to relatively safe guard duties, this time they will face significant risks.
The Georgian brigade will be in charge of security in the Iraqi province of Wasit, a hotbed of smuggling near the Iranian border. Georgian forces will also be patrolling the predominantly Shiite local capital, Kut, where coalition forces have clashed with insurgents.
"Now the Georgians will actually own some terrain, be in control of it, which is a much more robust mission than they've been used to," said Major Tony Fournier, the current US commander of the Krtsanisi National Education Centre, where US soldiers are training their Georgian counterparts. "Thus far they've had no soldiers killed in Iraq.
Hopefully they can keep that record, but it's unlikely," Fournier said. Georgian soldiers training to go to Iraq say they feel confident and well-prepared. "The soldiers are absolutely ready. We have been very well-trained thanks to the American forces," said Lieutenant Zura Gogididze, the commander of the unit taking part in Wilson's training exercise.
Over the last five years, the US has spent more than 175 million dollars (132 million euros) on military assistance to Georgia, providing modern weaponry and equipment along with training. For Georgia, boosting its contribution to the war in Iraq is a way of cementing an increasingly strong alliance with the United States.
Dominated by neighbouring Russia for most of the last two centuries, Georgia has sought closer ties with the West since President Mikheil Saakashvili came to power after the 2003 so-called Rose Revolution. Saakashvili has pledged to bring his country into Nato and said Georgia's contribution to international missions is a key step toward membership.
Russia has reacted angrily to Georgia's pro-Western course, banning imports of its most important goods and cutting off transport links with the country.
Russia also supports two separatist regions of Georgia, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which broke away from the country amid heavy fighting in the early 1990s.
The experience and equipment Georgia is gaining through military cooperation with the United States could prove decisive if the country decides to retake the regions by force. Saakashvili has pledged to reclaim the regions peacefully, but analysts say the Georgian military clearly sees retaking control of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as its long-term goal.
Georgian soldiers training for Iraq are also thinking long-term. "The most important mission for the modern Georgian army will be the return of Abkhazia and South Ossetia," Gogididze said.
Unlike in the United States, where President George W. Bush is facing increasing opposition to the war, there appears to be widespread public support for the Georgian troop surge.
Georgia's parliament approved the troop increase by a vote of 145-2 on June 8 and on the streets of the capital, Tbilisi, many Georgians supported the move as a way of paying back the US. "The United States has been our strongest friend and we should support them, even if it means putting our soldiers in danger," said Amiran, a 53-year-old mechanic.
Some did question, however, whether Georgia is jumping on to a sinking ship. "Of course it would be good for Georgia to join Nato, but what does that have do with fighting in Iraq? A lot of Nato members disagree with the war," said Bekha, a 19-year-old student. "It's America's fight, not ours."
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