Poland to offer extensive military training to volunteers

Polish authorities plan to offer voluntary military training to 100,000 civilians annually starting next year, as the government outlines a large-scale initiative to expand the country's army reserves.

Polish students take part in a military training event with the Armed Forces and the Academic Legion at the Maritime University of Szczecin on March 11, 2025, during the "Day with the Army" initiative.

Photo: PAP/Marcin Bielecki

Poland, a staunch ally of Ukraine, has been heavily arming itself and closely monitoring neighboring Russia, especially amid calls from former U.S. President Donald Trump for European countries to take greater responsibility for their own defense.

Earlier this week, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that the government aims to launch a new program offering voluntary military training, with a goal of training 100,000 citizens by 2027.

“Our priority is to ensure that everyone interested can participate in this training by 2026 at the latest,” Tusk stated.

💬PM @DonaldTusk in Parliament: We are preparing large-scale military training for every adult man in Poland. Our goal is to finalize the plan by year’s end to ensure a well-trained reserve force ready for potential threats.

— Chancellery of the Prime Minister of Poland (@PremierRP_en) March 7, 2025

“By 2027, we will double the number of trainees in the core training program. Additionally, this will be supplemented with specialized courses tailored to individual professions and skill sets,” he added.

Wzmacniamy bezpieczeństwo i zdolności obronne Polski! 🇵🇱

W 2027 roku osiągniemy zdolność przeszkolenia 100 tys. ochotników rocznie. pic.twitter.com/78LqL72IhM

— Kancelaria Premiera (@PremierRP) March 11, 2025

Radio Poland's Michał Owczarek covered the event - click the player icon above to listen to his full report.

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(m o/m p)