Courtesy Photo | Cpl. Scott Mallen hoses down the roof of a house to put out flames. Mallen and other...... read more read more
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BEMOWO PISKIE TRAINING AREA, Poland--Lots of loud bangs and smoke are a normal occurrence for soldiers during training exercises.
So when Battle Group Poland soldiers from 1st Troop, A Squadron, The Light Dragoons, heard an explosion and saw heavy smoke billowing near them on May 24, their first thought was that it was part of their training exercise. The Light Dragoons, along with U.S. and Romanian soldiers from the battle group were participating in the Polish 15th Mechanized Brigade's joint training exercise PUMA17 here that week.
"We had been in the area doing reconnaissance missions as part of the exercise," explained Maj. Noel Claydon-Swales, the Light Dragoons commander. "We checked on our map and determined the explosion happened in the town of Ruda which was just about a kilometer away, so we decided to check it out to be sure everything was okay."
The British troops and Polish soldiers from the 2nd Mechanized Battalion loaded up in their vehicles and raced to the scene. But when they got there, they discovered all was not okay.
When they pulled up, Claydon-Swales said they saw flames shooting out of a house and residents were in a panic, trying to put out the fire. Cpl. Scott Mallen grabbed a hose and began to douse the flames on the rooftop of the house.
"Without even thinking for a minute, we all jumped in and began to act to put the fire out," he said. "We continued to help, assisting the fire fighters when they arrived."
The closest fire department is about 19-20 kilometers from Ruda, so it took them a bit longer to get to the fire than the soldiers who were already nearby.
The fire raged through the night. Three families were left homeless, but there were no casualties. Cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
The soldiers' quick action helped save lives and prevented the fire from spreading to more homes, Capt. Józef Baranowski, a spokesman for the Headquarters of the State Fire Service in Pisz, told a local news outlet. (Translated from Polish)
"If not for their quick intervention, it is not known whether the building could be saved," Baranowski said. "The attitude of soldiers deserves praise. I wish that everyone reacted so when they see a dangerous event."
Claydon-Swales said his troops are heroes by nature.
"These actions are typical of every Light Dragoon and British soldier--be it helping to fight a fire while on operations in Poland or assisting with flood relief back home in the U.K.," he said. "Our soldiers are very proud to serve here in Poland alongside our allies, and to directly help the local community in such a small way has been very rewarding for our men and women."
Polish 15th Mechanized Brigade General Jaroslaw Gromadzinski also recognized the Light Dragoons' heroic actions at a special ceremony June 2 in Orzysz, Poland. As he presented a plaque and medallion to Mallen, the general stated how proud he was to be working with such "brave and professional soldiers in the battle group."
| Date Taken: | 06.02.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 06.02.2017 16:33 |
| Story ID: | 236214 |
| Location: | PL |
| Web Views: | 127 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Battle Group Poland's Light Dragoons engage in a different type of fire fight, by SFC Patricia Deal, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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