Georgian joins Guard, State Partnership Program

Story By Spc. Amanda Luksic
Georgia Army National Guard  PAO

Specialist David Papava has made history as one of the first natives of the nation of Georgia to join the State of Georgia's National Guard. Papava is the new Internal Affairs Technician for the State Partnership program.

Georgia Army National Guard Specialist David Z. Papava of Mableton is a true Georgian, but his Georgia roots lay 6,000 miles away in eastern Europe.

Papava, who was born and raised in the nation of Georgia, joined the Georgia Army National Guard earlier this year and is the internal affairs technician with the State Partnership Program.

The National Guard’s State Partnership Program links state National Guard organizations with developing countries around the world. The Georgia-to-Georgia relationship, established in May 1995, has developed beyond its initial military-to-military origin to become a highly productive cooperative program in many areas of civil and military support.

Today more than 36 states and territories and the District of Columbia maintain cooperative State Partnership relationships with more than 38 developing nations.

“Having a native Georgian on staff is an extraordinary occurrence and is quite possibly a first in the history of the Georgia Guard,” said Maj. Elizabeth Baker, coordinator of Georgia’s State Partnership Program.

Papava, a former member of the Georgian Ministry of Defense, was born and raised in Tbilisi, the nation’s capital. He moved to Monterey, Calif., in 2002 to attend the Naval Postgraduate School. He immigrated to the U.S. in 2005 after marrying his wife Diana, an American citizen. Two years later, he joined the Georgia National Guard, working as a personnel assistant for the 221st Military Intelligence Battalion at Fort Gillem in Atlanta.

“I joined the Guard because I wanted to serve this nation’s interests,” Papava said. “Plus, this is a very good opportunity to also do something good for my native country.”

Papava said that “a greater degree of understanding and cooperation may be accomplished through my knowledge of people, culture and military of Georgia.” His knowledge of the language and his abilities as an interpreter will also help in continuing to enhance this relationship.

In 1997 Papava received his bachelor's from Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, majoring in History. He received his Master of Arts in National Security Affairs from the Naval Postgraduate School in 2004.

Spc. Papava’s future plans are to apply to become a warrant officer and to make the National Guard his career.