Photo By Capt. Hector Rene Membreno-Canales | Paratroopers of Company D, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne...... read more read more
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WARSAW, Poland – The Polish government invited U.S. Army paratroopers from the 173rd Airborne Brigade to march in the annual Polish Armed Forces Day Parade, which is celebrated in Warsaw every Aug. 15.
U.S. paratroopers have been in Poland since April training with their NATO counterparts from Canada and Poland in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve.
“We focus on the strengthening of NATO and to the strengthening of European integration. That is why we support the presence of the United States in Europe and support the prospect of integration of the entire Western world,” said Republic of Poland President Bronislaw Komorowski in a speech before the parade kicked-off.
The parade began with flyovers by seven TS-11 Iskra jets from the Polish air force’s ‘White-Red Sparks’ team, followed by helicopters, jets, planes and two 12th Combat Aviation Brigade UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters.
Before leading his paratroopers down the parade route on Ujazdow Avenue in central Warsaw, Capt. Matthew McCarthy, a Deerfield, Illinois, native and commander of Company D, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade said, “It’s important that our NATO partners know that we’re here to help them through the good and bad just as they’ve supported us.”
Since joining NATO in 2002, Polish troops participated in the invasion of Iraq in 2003 and an estimated 25,000 troops served in Afghanistan as part of the International Security Assistance Force.
McCarthy said the incentive to training alongside the Polish army is to achieve a higher state of readiness, which increases trust and confidence in each other’s abilities, which is the purpose of Operation Atlantic Resolve.
Although World War I ended in 1918, Poland continued to fight for its freedom well after the war ended. This national holiday honors the Polish victory against Russian Bolsheviks during the 1920 Battle of Warsaw.
“This is something that not a lot of people get to do,” said Pfc. Maison Arroyo, a Long Beach, California, native and paratrooper assigned to Company D, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade. “Being part of their history is humbling.”
As a ceremonial tradition, President Komorowski laid a wreath at the General Jozef Pilsudski monument the morning of the parade. Pilsudski led the Polish army against the Bolsheviks in 1920.
President Komorowski concluded his speech by saying, “...shown in the parade are weapon systems which are the strength of the Polish army that contributes to the strength of the entire North Atlantic Alliance. I am glad, therefore, that the Soldiers of the United States and Canada will participate as representatives as part of our parade, our parade of freedom. Please welcome them all.”
U.S. Army Europe troops will continue training in Poland in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve through 2015.
| Date Taken: | 08.15.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 09.08.2014 07:33 |
| Story ID: | 141378 |
| Location: | WARSAW, PL |
| Hometown: | DEERFIELD, IL, US |
| Hometown: | LONG BEACH, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 182 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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