The celebrations began with Holy Mass at the Church of Sts. Cyril and Methodius in Bolesławiec. The Eucharist for the artillerymen was celebrated by: Dean of the Land Forces, Rev. Col. Grzegorz Krupski (former chaplain to the Bolesławiec artillerymen), retired Col. Włodzimierz Kula and chaplain of the 23rd Artillery Regiment, 2nd Lt. Paweł Antkiewicz.
The main part of the celebrations was a military ceremony, whose importance was underscored by the participation of the commander of the 11th “Lubusz” Armoured Cavalry Division, Maj. Gen. Jarosław Mika, commanders of the Black Division’s units, and the authorities of the city and Bolesławiec County. At the invitation of the regiment commander, the ceremony was also attended by representatives of artillery communities, veterans, commanders of former units stationed in the Bolesławiec garrison, as well as commanders of garrison institutions and uniformed services.
After the national flag was raised and the participants sang the national anthem to the accompaniment of the military band from Wrocław, the commander of the 23rd Artillery Regiment, Col. Paweł Świtalski, welcomed the invited guests and recalled the origins of the celebration.
“For every military unit, its day is special among military celebrations. For the 23rd Silesian Artillery Regiment, that day is March 18, commemorating the Battle of Kołobrzeg. After heavy fighting and breaking through the Pomeranian Wall, the artillerymen of the 23rd Kołobrzeg Light Artillery Regiment of the 6th Pomeranian Infantry Division reached the shore of the Baltic, reclaimed for Poland. Our rich artillery traditions are a source of pride, but at the same time they oblige us to carefully preserve them,” said the commander of the Bolesławiec artillerymen, emphasizing that this year’s celebration was influenced by the training schedule, particularly the completion of the most important stage of field training at the Żagań OSPWL.
The artillerymen’s ceremony was an opportunity to honor soldiers for special merits and their personal contribution to the performance of official duties. After the chapter’s decision was read out, Col. Paweł Świtalski, together with the first commander of the 23rd Artillery Brigade, retired Col. Jan Biały, presented commemorative badges to the distinguished soldiers.
As a symbolic expression of thanks for the support and goodwill extended to the regiment, and a recognition of the regiment’s three years among the Black Division’s units, the commander of the 11th Armoured Cavalry Division, Maj. Gen. Jarosław Mika, was awarded the Commemorative Badge of the 23rd Artillery Regiment.
Later in the ceremony, the regiment’s soldiers were awarded the Meritorious Soldier of the Republic of Poland badges, 3rd class. For significant achievements in command, training and educational work, awards went to Capt. Robert Kolasa, Senior Warrant Officer Marek Słota, Senior Warrant Officer Dariusz Burmas and Junior Warrant Officer Roman Rzeszut. This part of the ceremony concluded with the presentation to Warrant Officer Rafał Jałowiecki of the Medal for Achievement, awarded by the deputy commander of the U.S. Forces in Europe. The medal for service during a peacekeeping mission as part of the KFOR Polish Military Contingent was presented to the artilleryman by the commander of the 10th Armoured Cavalry Brigade, Brig. Gen. Maciej Jabłoński, accompanied by the commander of the 23rd Artillery Regiment.
The invited guests then addressed the gathering. Maj. Gen. Jarosław Mika emphasized the role and importance of the 23rd Artillery Regiment among the units of the 11th Armoured Cavalry Division. The Black Division commander thanked the soldiers for their commitment and the high quality of the tasks carried out to date, and referred to the new challenges awaiting the artillerymen by the end of 2016. President of the City of Bolesławiec Piotr Roman and Stanisław Chwojnicki, representing the Bolesławiec county executive, also addressed the soldiers with many warm words, emphasizing their good cooperation with the Bolesławiec unit.
A remembrance roll call, followed by a ceremonial salvo, honored the memory of the historical predecessors of the 23rd Artillery Regiment and the generations of wartime artillerymen. At the conclusion, a delegation from military communities laid flowers beneath a commemorative plaque dedicated to the historical predecessors of the 23rd Artillery Regiment and to artillerymen who had fallen or died.
After a drill display by trainees undergoing preparatory service for the National Reserve Forces, the ceremony concluded with a parade of subunits and artillery equipment.
At the same time, as part of the open barracks day, the unit hosted school students and children from Bolesławiec preschools, who had the opportunity to learn about military equipment and the traditions inherited by the Bolesławiec unit. In addition to artillery equipment, the young visitors could also see Rosomak armored personnel carriers used by the 17th Mechanized Brigade and border guard equipment presented by officers of the Border Guard Specialist Training Centre in Lubań.
The celebrations concluded with a meeting of generations of artillerymen, providing an opportunity to exchange experiences and learn about the history of artillery from soldiers who had helped shape it over several decades. During the meeting, Col. Świtalski thanked the commanders of the Black Division’s units, as well as local authorities and the commanders of uniformed services, for their good cooperation and support.
Capt. Remigiusz Kwieciński/ii