Georgian Defence Forces pilots leave contrails of red and white during the ceremony for the Georgian Independence Day celebration at Freedom Square in Tbilisi, Georgia, on May 26, 2021. On this day, Georgia celebrates the adoption of the Act of Independence, which established the Democratic Republic of Georgia in 1918. This is also the country’s 30th year as a free and independent nation since its separation from the former Soviet Union. U.S. Marines and Soldiers were the only foreign servicemembers invited to participate together with the troops of the Georgian Defence Forces during the celebration. The Marines currently deployed to Georgia represent the final GDP rotation before the mission is sunset in the fall of this year due to the decision for U.S. troops to leave Afghanistan. For the past 17 years, U.S. Marines and Georgian troops have trained and deployed together, even fighting side-by-side, in support of various missions in the Middle East. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Kirstin Spanu)