2014-04-24 14:59:40
Polish and American paratroopers exercise in Drawsko
On the 23th of April 2014 an infantry company from of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team US Army flew in C-130J Super Hercules and C-17 Globemaster III transport planes to the Polish air base in Świdwin. Sky Soldiers stationing in an Italian town Vicenza, now will take part in a few weeks training with paratroopers from the Polish 6th Airborne Brigade.
The event of welcoming in Poland the American paratroopers have had a high rank. There were Minister of Defence Tomasz Siemoniak and U.S. Ambassador to Poland Stephen Mull. All this, of course, is related with the current international situation, the Russian-Ukrainian crisis and the announcement of strengthening the military presence in the eastern part of NATO. We can not forget that the cooperation of American and Polish paratroopers has been going on for at least 12 years. In recent times, a platoon of Polish 6th Brigade practised with 173rd Airborne Brigade soldiers on the military range in Germany. Cooperation between the 6th and the 173rd Brigade has taken a form of a consistent formula. This year, a series of projects involving soldiers of both airborne forces has been organized.
Polish and American paratroopers the regularly cooperation has been going on for at least 12 years.
Initially it has been planned that the current practice on the range Drawsko Pomorskie (Pomerania region) will last two weeks, but it will probably be extended. The announcement of the Pentagon is that the U.S. troops will be rotating and they will be present in Poland by the end of 2014.
150 soldiers from Charlie Company 1st Battalion 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment US Army arrived to Poland. Lt. Col. Patrick Wilkins, commander of the 1-503rd commands. Together with soldiers Americans transported some vehicles: two HMMWV all-terrain vehicles and two FMTV trucks.
The Polish side for shared exercises directed about 200 soldiers from the 18th Airborne Battalion of the 6th Airborne Brigade. The battalion garrison is in the city of Bielsko-Biala in the southern Poland. The commander of the Polish part is Lt. Col. Richard Burczy.
The exercises of both companies are coordinated by the Polish and American battalion commanders. Currently they coordinate the details of joint activities. The principle is to conduct training as a preparation for conventional armed conflict, and not, as was often so far - for asymmetric operations similar to the service in Iraq or Afghanistan.
The exchange of personnel will to be lower to maximum level - individual soldiers. Photos: Maciej Nedzynski/MoD PL
The exchange of personnel will to be lower to maximum, not only in case of a common exercises at the level of squads, teams or platoons, but even as far as the individual soldiers are concerned. The common parts will be fire shooting, individual and in groups. There will be tactical tasks related to the occupation of military targets. The first jumps, if the weather will be good, are scheduled for Monday on the 28th of April. Dropzone in Drawsko Pomorskie does not allow for simultaneous landing of two companies of paratroopers. One of the projects will be a tactical task after the troops landing. Polish soldiers will be parachuting from the Polish transport aircrafts and the Americans from the USAF planes. Despite the limitations, it will be one of the biggest mass jumping airborne troops in Poland.
On the next few days the American task force will be directed to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. According to the announcement the Pentagon, along with a company that appeared in Świdwin, it will be a total of 600 soldiers (4 companies).
The Polish 6th Airborne Brigade stationing in the southern Poland consists of three airborne battalions (6th, 16th and 18th), command battalion and logistics battalion. Polish Armed Forces has two air mobility brigades, the second one is the 25th Air Cavalry Brigade stationed in Tomaszow Mazowiecki (central Poland).
Dziennik Zbrojny
