A ceremonial formation held on the Brigade’s parade ground brought together three classes of cadets, who had attended a training camp in Świętoszów from 28 June to 10 July, along with their teachers. “I am glad that we could host you for the fourth time and that you are so eager to come to Świętoszów. I know that you have undergone demanding training, but I believe that you managed well. A wise proverb says, ‘What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.’ You have to be brave enough to raise the bar for yourselves and confront your weaknesses. That is what I wish for you. And, of course: enjoy your holidays,” Colonel Dariusz Nawrocki, the brigade’s deputy commander, told the young people gathered on the square.
Later in the ceremony, the colonel recognized the three best cadets, who achieved the highest results during the training, and presented commemorative certificates to the remaining high school students.
The cadets from the Warsaw school completed a series of training sessions with instructors from various subunits. Each day began with morning physical training, morning ablutions and cleaning their accommodation area. After formation and breakfast, they began classes at the training facilities. During their 12 days in Świętoszów, they took part, among other things, in tactical exercises on the tactical training lane, conducted with them by instructors from the mechanized battalion; live-fire training with soldiers of the 1st Tank Battalion; and terrain-orientation classes with scouts from the reconnaissance company.
“This is our second time in Świętoszów. We came to the camp to test our skills and learn new, useful things. For the second time, we are becoming increasingly convinced that we want to tie our future to the military, because it is something that genuinely interests us and something we would like to do in life,” said cadets Piotr Wieliczko and Patryk Grzybek.
Instructors from the anti-aircraft squadron organized drill classes for the young people, while soldiers from the logistics battalion showed the cadets around the repair halls, where those interested could look inside the vehicles, learn about technical details and even watch how the engine is removed from a Leopard 2A 4 tank. The classes at the engineering training center, the communications classes and those organized by soldiers from the reconnaissance company were the most popular among the high school students.
“Last Friday, the young people were tasked with conducting a march along the Świętoszów–Łozy route and then reconnoitering a water obstacle, constructing a rope bridge and crossing the water obstacle by sections with full security, after which they were to continue the march on the other side of the river,” reported Staff Corporal Artur Dobrzański of the reconnaissance company. “In my opinion, they carried out the task excellently. I was surprised by their level of training. There were no disciplinary problems, and no one refused to carry out the task.”
Camp commandant Piotr Goruk-Górski is also proud. “We want young people from military classes to gain something concrete during camps like these. In school conditions, we are unable to provide them with this kind of training. It is also a form of selection: it verifies who is physically or mentally weaker, who copes less well and who copes better. The young people themselves see what they need to work on. They also learn to cooperate, which is particularly important for first-year classes as the group bonds. This process takes place very quickly in extreme conditions such as these.”
Military classes have been operating at the Warsaw high school since 2006. More than one-third of graduates of these classes go on to join the broadly understood uniformed services after finishing high school: the military, police, Border Guard, fire service and others. “Several of our graduates are currently cadets at the General Tadeusz Kościuszko Military Academy of Land Forces in Wrocław, while several have graduated from the Military University of Technology. And that is precisely the point, which is why we do this. The people who remain in the military and the services are those who go there out of passion and a desire to serve their homeland, because during these three years of education they can verify and convince themselves that this is what they want to do,” the camp commandant concluded.
More photos on the website of the 10th Armored Cavalry Brigade.
Katarzyna Przepióra