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POZNAN, Poland – Forward Operating Site Poznan, home of U.S. Army V Corps (Forward), receives the distinctive name "Camp Kościuszko,” in honor of a Polish and U.S. military general, Tadeusz Kościuszko, July 30, 2022. The Polish Armed Forces’ announcement to rename the post comes after U.S. President Joe Biden declared the official approval for a permanent U.S. military presence in Poland at the NATO Summit in Madrid, Spain, June 29.
Biden emphasized enhancing U.S. force posture in Europe, specifically in Poland, as V Corps establishes a permanent forward headquarters to “strengthen the U.S.-NATO interoperability across the entire eastern flank,”.
Although U.S. troops have shared the post with their Polish counterparts for years, the two countries consider the formal naming of the post a significant step to strengthen deep-rooted ties between America and Poland.
“Lt. Gen. Kosciuszko, who is a national hero to Poland and the United States, is somebody that shows the brotherhood between both our nations,” said Polish Land Forces Mr. Daniel Jurkiewicz, deputy chief of infrastructure for 14th Garrison Support Unit and international cooperation coordinator. “Before U.S. forces were here on base, this was the quartermasters officers academy. Part of the quartermaster schooling, we had the Engineer District here, and they taught engineers, builders, construction workers, etc. So, we thought that Kosciuszko is the best person to honor by naming the base…to have the name of an engineer be the name of the base.”
Originally, V Corps’ forward presence was established on Oct. 1, 2020. Hundreds of the corps' and rotational units’ Soldiers deployed to Europe; their support to this mission has improved command and control capabilities, increased interoperability, and bolstered the U.S. commitment built on military partnerships. The partnership between these two nations is bound by trust that has developed since Kościuszko served alongside troops during the American Revolutionary War.
Tadeusz Kościuszko was a Polish-born military engineer and national leader. Through his work and dedication, he eventually earned the rank of brigadier general with the American Continental Army and lieutenant general with the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth Army.
After learning about the American Revolution, he sailed to America with other foreign military officers in June 1776 to support the American cause and advocate for human rights. Shortly after arriving in America, he applied and was accepted into the Continental Army a day later, on Aug. 30, 1776. During his time in America, he served beside Benjamin Franklin and fortified multiple fortresses, including Fort Clinton and Fort Billingsport.
Kościuszko not only became an American hero, but a Polish one as well. After arriving back in Poland on Aug. 26, 1784, he began befriending political reformers in Warsaw and positioned himself in Polish politics with the intent to emphasize equality. Later, Kościuszko would aid in the adoption of a new constitution for his homeland. Russia saw the new Polish government as a threat, and in 1792, sent 100,000 soldiers to invade Poland. Kościuszko was given command over a comparatively smaller Polish Army. He successfully repelled Russian forces at the Battles of Zielence and Dubienka using military tactics he learned from a fellow American war general, Maj. Gen. Nathanael Greene. Following Kościuszkos’ victories, he was promoted to Lieutenant General and was awarded the Order of the White Eagle, Poland's highest military and civil honors.
“The name of the base shows a Polish and U.S. hero that is the pearl of our alliance, and everybody will see it.” said Jurkiewicz. “A base where we have V Corps command to support the eastern flank of NATO, that shows something. That shows the brotherhood, the importance of our alliance because if you go back to the 18th century, it's the same, like we are brothers and that we fight alongside each other.”
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| Date Taken: | 07.30.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 07.30.2022 10:18 |
| Story ID: | 426178 |
| Location: | POZNAN, PL |
| Web Views: | 5,839 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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