For four days, both day and night, soldiers of 10BKPanc and other units of the Black Division honed their skills in solving tactical problems while planning, organizing and conducting operations.
“Only four days, yet the effort was immense. A changing tactical situation, the practical relocation of the brigade command posts and those of subordinate units, as well as the constant need to control the variables affecting the situation and the decisions reached. This, in brief, is how the exercise codenamed Bóbr-15 can be described,” said Maj. Gen. Jarosław Mika, the exercise director and, at the same time, commander of the 11th Lubuska Armored Cavalry Division.
The exercise scenario assumed a conflict between two states: Baria—the Red Alliance—and Wislandia—the Blue Alliance. The source of the conflict was Baria’s claims to newly discovered, rich deposits of oil, gas and copper in Wislandia’s territory. The Armed Forces of Baria began military operations against Wislandia and crossed its borders.
The soldiers training at the 10BKPanc command posts—both the brigade command post and those of its three subordinate units—had to plan and develop decisions on how to overcome the enemy’s defenses, then seize and hold the attack objectives and secure the brigade reserve’s entry into combat. Also tactically important was the method of employing additional elements of the combat formation during the attack and organizing the transition to defense while in contact with the enemy.
“Participation in the Bóbr-15 command-and-staff framework exercise was extremely important for the soldiers of 10BKPanc, as it enabled an objective assessment of the brigade command’s capabilities, as well as those of the detached subordinate commands, to plan, organize and direct combat operations,” said the commander of 10BKPanc, Colonel Maciej Jabłoński. “The specific nature of the exercise, expressed through the created operational environment, initiated a very intensive execution of tasks by the exercising commands and troops. I am particularly pleased and proud of my subordinate commanders, chiefs and troops, as they fully carried out the tasks assigned to them, demonstrating versatility, initiative, creativity and determination in pursuing the intended operational objectives.
The exercise leadership, made up of soldiers from the Black Division command, tested and assessed the capabilities of the exercising command posts in terms of functioning and carrying out tasks within their established structures, using standard command and communications equipment under conditions of high-intensity operations. During the exercise, the Świętoszów unit’s preparedness to conduct operations was also examined by the Inspection Department of the Ministry of National Defence.
Maj. Artur Pinkowski, Katarzyna Przepióra