On Sunday, June 12, a military festival took place on the garrison square of the 10th Armored Cavalry Brigade in Świętoszów, with the participation of Polish and allied units taking part in Exercise Anakonda-16.
Soldiers from Poland, the United States, Croatia, Slovenia, Lithuania and Turkey organized a static display of the equipment assigned to their subunits. More than 30 military vehicles were presented, attracting many military enthusiasts as well as children and young people with their entire families.
Residents and allied soldiers who came to the military festival had the opportunity to see up close the legendary American M1 Abrams tank, Leopard 2A4 and 2A5 tanks, the M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle, the Humvee multipurpose vehicle, the 2S1 “Goździk” self-propelled howitzer, the ZSU 23-4 “Biała” anti-aircraft system and many other interesting military vehicles.
An unusual attraction was the chemical demonstration stands prepared by an international chemical battalion consisting of Croatian, Slovenian, Lithuanian and Turkish soldiers, as well as chemists from the 4th Chemical Regiment in Brodnica and the 5th Chemical Regiment in Tarnowskie Góry.
All elements of the display attracted considerable interest, especially among the youngest visitors. Every volunteer could put on a gas mask, try on a military vest, put on a tanker's helmet or check how heavy a weapon is.
The tanks of the Black Division and the American Abrams attracted the greatest interest. Residents of nearby towns were very pleased and amazed as they viewed the armored tracked vehicles from the inside. The commander of the 11th Lubuska Armored Cavalry Division, Major General Jarosław Mika, also attended the military festival in Świętoszów. Together with the head of training, Lieutenant Colonel Tomasz Biedziak, representing the commander of the 10th Armored Cavalry Brigade, he visited every demonstration point. A dynamic demonstration of the Świętoszów sappers' Biber armored bridge layer, which was deployed in just five minutes at the order of the Black Division commander, drew all the spectators together.
The gathered guests could also admire performances by young artists from the Szprotawa Cultural Center and the Black Division club, as well as majorette performances. For the youngest visitors, the Mali Husarze and “O niedźwiedziu kapralu Wojtku” groups performed, while the Fayah Inna Di Nation band provided entertainment on Sunday afternoon.
During the military festival, members of the public could talk with soldiers from allied countries about the hardships of their service, while military personnel exchanged experience and military knowledge not only during cooperation on training grounds. The wonderful atmosphere, like that of one large military family, contributed to all of this.
This initiative brought residents closer to the daily hardships of service faced by allied and Polish soldiers and presented the public with equipment used during the largest exercise of the Armed Forces, codenamed Anakonda-16.
ppor. Radosław Gruźlewski/ii