The document was signed on Thursday in the northern Polish city of Toruń by Brig. Gen. Maciej Klisz, commander of Poland’s Territorial Defence Force, and the Assistant Adjutant General of the Illinois Army National Guard, Gen. Rodney Boyd, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
Boyd told reporters that the agreement would further formalise cooperation between Poland’s territorial army and the Illinois Army National Guard.
He said his forces had been training WOT soldiers for around five years, during which time “we have seen a firm improvement in their potential and abilities.”
Boyd told reporters that the training courses were also designed to raise the Polish territorial army’s operational capability in helping protect Poland’s eastern border.
He said WOT’s mission in the area was similar to that of the US Army National Guard on America’s southern border with Mexico in the state of Texas.
Brig. Gen. Maciej Klisz, commander of Poland's Territorial Defence Force (WOT) (right), and Assistant Adjutant General of the Illinois Army National Guard, Gen. Rodney Boyd (left). PAP/Tytus Żmijewski
WOT’s Klisz said Thursday’s agreement foresaw a continuation of existing training programmes, as well as new courses to develop “the combat skills of light infantry,” the PAP news agency reported.
These training programmes will cover “fighting tanks and armoured targets, using the US-made Javelin man-portable anti-tank system,” conducting sniper fire, and medical care, Klisz added.
Other training courses will cover defence against weapons of mass destruction, upgrading command processes at battalion level and monitoring of artillery fire, according to officials.
Klisz told reporters that several hundred WOT troops were helping protect Poland’s border with Belarus, in coordination with the Border Guard agency.
Thursday’s signing ceremony between Poland’s Territorial Defence Force and the Illinois Army National Guard at the military training area in Toruń featured a presentation of the capabilities of the Polish Army’s W-3 Sokół (Falcon) multi-purpose helicopters, Warmate loitering munitions and F-16 fighter jets, the PAP news agency reported.
(pm/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP, terytorialsi.wp.mil.pl