On Friday, 30 May, this year’s edition of the Commando Field Exercise came to an end in Bolesławiec. Commando training camps provide a unique opportunity for young people interested in future service in the military, the Border Guard and other uniformed services to develop practical skills under the supervision of experienced instructors.
During this year’s exercise, held as part of five-day conditioning and training camps, students from nine uniformed classes, mostly from schools in Lower Silesia, developed shooting skills and learned the basics of military drill, tactics, first aid and defence against weapons of mass destruction.
The camp placed strong emphasis on physical exercise. The young people developed their fitness at the Physical Training Centre (OSF) and tested their abilities in fitness competitions based on the requirements applicable to examinations for preparatory service. Much attention was also devoted to familiarising the trainees with the principles of operation in crisis situations, water rescue and high-altitude mountaineering.
The training took place at the facilities of the 23rd Silesian Artillery Regiment. Its instructors, together with the organisers—commandos from the Association of Former Soldiers of the 62nd Special Company “Commando”—taught the basics of military craft. An additional attraction of the training was rafting, while in the evenings the young people honed their skills at Bolesławiec’s “Orka” swimming pool.
Alongside practical training, the young people took part in educational and preventive sessions. Military police officers conducted preventive classes, while soldiers from the bomb-disposal patrol introduced the students to the dangers posed by unexploded ordnance and hazardous materials, as well as the rules to follow after finding them. The Military Recruitment Office, meanwhile, gave lectures on military education and the conditions of military and preparatory service.
The 10th Armoured Cavalry Brigade also took part in organising this year’s training. There, the young people had an opportunity to learn about the “Śnieżnik” firearms training system and see command vehicles and Leopard 2A 4 tanks. The participation of instructors from the Border Guard Specialist Training Centre made it possible to teach elements of high-altitude mountaineering using specialist equipment.
The training camp took the form of comprehensive workshops developing skills in military subjects. Individual elements of the training were assessed, and participants received certificates. Students who achieved the best results were honoured with awards.
Summing up the training, Bogdan Fiałkowski, vice-president of the Association of Former Soldiers of the 62nd Special Company “Commando”, thanked the young people for their great commitment and the commander of the 23rd Artillery Regiment, Lt Col Sławomir Kula, for his help in organising the training. “Thanks to the support of the Ministry of National Defence, many years of cooperation with the Bolesławiec artillerymen and other units of the ‘Black Division’, our Association can actively participate in training military classes and a number of other activities carried out for the defence of the state,” the association’s vice-president concluded.
Teachers of the uniformed classes who attended the exercise’s conclusion spoke highly of its organisation and the atmosphere, which helped achieve the intended goal and provided the students with unforgettable experiences.
(information: Capt. Remigiusz Kwieciński/ii)