Division commander visits Torun for Thanksgiving
By Staff Sgt. Scott D. Longstreet, 241st Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
POZNAN, Poland- Soldiers welcomed Col. Phil Brooks, 1st Infantry Division Forward commander and Command Sgt. Maj. Joshua C. Holthus, 1st Infantry Division Forward command sergeant major, to Camp Saint Barbara in Torun, Poland, Wednesday, November 27, for some Thanksgiving joy, cheer and food.
Lt. Gen. Jaroslaw Mika, general commander of the Polish Armed Forces, also welcomed the command team to Torun.
After being welcomed, the group was escorted to the dining facility for an American Thanksgiving feast. The meal consisted of turkey, ham, stuffing and pumpkin pie, among other traditional food items.
Brooks, Holthus, Mika and other members of their staff, along with Mika, took time to serve dinner to the Soldiers of 3rd Battalion, 16th Field Artillery Regiment (Rolling Thunder), 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division from Fort Hood, Texas. Rolling Thunder is currently conducting training in Torun in support of Atlantic Resolve. .
Next, the group was given a brief tour of the complex along with a meeting with key leaders. Mika was among the key leaders to speak on the importance of such traditions.
“Thank you for inviting me to celebrate this very important day in your Army,” Mika said. “It is a great time for me and the entire Polish Army to celebrate together. It shows we understand each other, our cultures and traditions.”
At the conclusion of the meeting, the Polish general awarded Col. Brooks the Polish Army Medal in Silver.
“This award signifies how well we know each other and how well we understand each other,” Mika said. “I am sure our cooperation will go on far beyond this mission.”
Brooks thanked Mika for the award and spoke of the value of cooperation.
“Our cooperation is because of your leadership,” said Brooks. “We could not operate the way we do without your guidance and leadership. Thank you for that.”
The tour concluded with Brooks and Holthus meeting and talking with the Soldiers of 3-16.
The 3-16 is a field artillery battalion assigned to the 2ABCT, 1st CAV Div. carrying the lineage of C Battery, 16th Field Artillery Regiment, the battalion carries campaign streamers from World War I, World War II and Vietnam, and has served with the 4th Infantry Division and 8th Infantry Division. The unit's nickname is "Rolling Thunder" and their motto is "Macte Nova Virtute" (Go Forth With New Strength).