A group of nearly 30 officer cadets from Dęblin, under the guidance of their supervisor, reserve colonel Marek Rak, visited units representing various branches of the armed forces during a two-week study trip. “We want young people to broaden their horizons. Here on site, not only through the theory they acquire at our academy, but also by seeing things firsthand,” said the group supervisor. “During the trip, they have the opportunity to see how individual military units function, what equipment they have, how they carry out their tasks, how they train and how they operate.”
Soldiers from 10BKPanc subunits, including the 1st Tank Battalion, mechanized battalion, anti-aircraft squadron and Leopard Training Center, prepared a presentation of the equipment used by the Brigade for the students. The technical equipment park displayed command vehicles, infantry fighting vehicles, the Biała anti-aircraft system, the Kroton transporter and, of course, tanks: the Leopard 2A4 and the Leopard 2A5, which remains in service with the Leopard Training Center. Technical and tactical data plates were placed beside each vehicle, and the crews answered all questions concerning both the vehicles’ construction and operation, as well as their capabilities.
The young people will soon begin their second year of studies in the following specializations: pilot, navigator, air traffic controller and unmanned aerial vehicle operator. During their educational trip, they have already visited the 32nd Tactical Air Base in Łask, which is equipped with F-16 aircraft. They also visited radio-technical units, and finally the armored brigade. “The 10th Armored Cavalry Brigade is an exceptional unit, which is why we wanted to visit it,” said officer cadet private Mikołaj Suszek. “Armored troops are something completely different from aviation—with different characteristics and a different type of training—but we wanted to see the Leopards. Personally, I can say only this: every boy is interested in large, heavy and loud machines. Now I can see that the Leopards really make a big impression.”
There is one girl among the group of boys. She is officer cadet private Oliwia Ziółkowska, who dreams of becoming an F-16 pilot one day. “Different branches of the armed forces cooperate with one another, which is why we visit units unrelated to aviation—to see how they are organized and how their training is conducted. After graduating from the school in Dęblin, I may not necessarily be assigned to an aviation unit, but, for example, to a radio-technical unit, where data for guidance navigators is collected. Knowledge of how other units operate will certainly prove useful someday.”
The commander of 10BKPanc, Brigadier General Maciej Jabłoński, met with the students from the Dęblin school. He briefly presented the Brigade’s history, spoke about its equipment and the tasks recently carried out by 10BKPanc. At the end of the meeting, he wished the students success and good luck in carrying out their upcoming projects.
Katarzyna Przepióra