Poland's territorials, US peer sign deal on cooperation in training
Poland's Territorial Defence Forces Training Centre (CS WOT) and US peer 129th Regional Training Institute from Springfield, Illinois, have signed an agreement on cooperation in troop training.
The document was penned by the Territorial Defence Forces (WOT) commander, Brigadier General Maciej Klisz, Deputy Commander of Illinois National Guard, General Rodney Boyd, the commander of the WOT Training Center, Colonel Edward Chyla and the commander of the 129th Regional Training Institute, Colonel Shawn D. Nokes.
The signing ceremony took place on the WOT training ground in Torun, northern Poland, on Thursday.
General Boyd said that the agreement is a formal endorsement of the several-year long cooperation between the Illinois National Guard and the Polish Armed Forces. He added that during this time, the capabilities of WOT soldiers have significantly increased.
According to him, the WOT has full operational capability on the eastern border of Poland and is modelled on the National Guard's operations on the southern US-Mexico border in Texas.
Brigadier General Klisz explained that the 129th Regiment (Regional Training Institute) is a specific unit that helps the commander of the Illinois National Guard improve the standards of troops. He added the same standards and procedures were a model for the WOT.
He said that the agreement provides for continuation of the existing training, and in the coming years both parties intend to focus on training which the Americans describe as "the culmination of the combat and operational capabilities of the light infantry."
This includes training in combating armoured targets, that is improving the ability to operate the Javelin system. Further areas of increasing capabilities will be training in sniper fire and medical training, Klisz added.
He also said that WOT soldiers carry out tasks on Poland's eastern border to support the Border Guard and other special services.
Colonel Chyla said that the agreement also provides for the extension of the training offer from next year to include training in defence against weapons of mass destruction, logistical support of operations, improvement of the command process at the level of battalion commands and staffs and artillery fire observers.
In 2021, CS WOT trained 1,500 soldiers, in 2022 their number increased to 2,500 and the same number of troops will be trained this year. (PAP)
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