The sandy roads of the Żagań–Świętoszów Training Area of the Land Forces Training Centre were the site of advanced training for drivers from the 23rd Artillery Regiment. On 8 and 9 December this year, taking advantage of the presence of Polish rally drivers, they improved their skills in driving across difficult terrain. The opportunity for the military drivers to meet and improve their skills arose from the presence at the training ground of Adam Małysz and his team, which was preparing for the Paris–Dakar Rally. Watching the champion from Wisła train, the soldiers asked many questions about driving techniques in difficult off-road conditions, while the rally drivers asked about the specifics of artillery service and military equipment. Subsequently, under the rally drivers’ supervision, the military drivers further improved their skills.
On the difficult training-ground roads, the drivers improved their driving technique in varied terrain using Honker passenger off-road vehicles and Star 266 off-road trucks, under the supervision of Krzysztof Michrowski, this year’s Polish Off-Road Vehicle Cup winner in the G2 class.
Although the military Honkers could not compete with the high-performance rally vehicles on the training ground’s rough tracks, as the training instructor Krzysztof Michrowski emphasized, the most important factor is the person, while skill and experience are decisive.
Using Adam Małysz’s and Krzysztof Michrowski’s knowledge and experience of driving in difficult terrain was undoubtedly a valuable supplement to the scheduled training. The training concluded with commemorative photographs with the champion from Wisła.
Capt. Remigiusz Kwieciński
