The 23rd Silesian Artillery Brigade was established in 1984 in Zgorzelec. Since 1998, it has been stationed in Bolesławiec. On Friday, April 3, the artillerymen celebrated the unit’s 25th anniversary. On this occasion, a solemn Mass was held at the Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius. The service was concelebrated by: Dean Father Andrzej Jarosiewicz, Dean Father Stanisław Kusik, Father Adam Terlecki, and the Brigade chaplain, Sławomir Szelągowski.
The barracks could be toured from the morning onward. The soldiers presented artillery equipment as well as an exhibition devoted to the history and traditions of the Brigade. A fitness competition for schools with military-oriented classes was also held on the unit’s premises. Representatives of Lubań, Rakowice, Złotoryja and Bolesławiec took part in the competition.
One of the most important elements of Friday’s ceremony was the laying of flowers beneath a plaque commemorating soldiers of artillery units whose traditions are upheld by the 23rd Artillery Brigade. Flowers were laid, among others, by delegations of veterans, Siberian deportees and local-government officials.
Later in the ceremony, among others, Col. Roman Kłosiński, commander of the Brigade; Gen. Franciszek Kochanowski, head of the Rocket and Artillery Forces; Chairwoman of the City Council Janina Piestrak-Babijczuk; Chairman of the County Council Karol Stasik; and Dariusz Pawliszczy, head of Gromadka Commune, addressed the gathering.
“I am pleased to emphasize that through your conscientious service and commitment to carrying out your duties, you are adding to the achievements of generations of rocket troops and artillerymen,” Gen. Franciszek Kochanowski told the soldiers of the 23rd Artillery Brigade. “Artillery remains the most important means of fire support in the armed forces. I thank the commander and the entire Brigade for their efforts in service to date.
During the jubilee celebrations, Col. Kłosiński presented Gen. Kochanowski with a commemorative medal of the 23rd Silesian Artillery Brigade. This prestigious decoration was also awarded to former heads of the Rocket and Artillery Forces (Gen. Antoni Skibiński, Gen. Czesław Borowski and Col. Piotr Żurakowski) and former commanders of the Brigade—Gen. Marian Kolczyński and Col. Jan Biały.
The artillerymen also honored people who had contributed to promoting and fostering a positive image of soldiers in the region—representatives of the city, county and surrounding commune authorities, as well as commanders of units cooperating with the Brigade.
Friday’s ceremony also provided an opportunity to welcome soldiers returning from a peacekeeping mission in Syria. Capt. Dariusz Kramarski, deputy commander of the UNDOF company, handed Col. Kłosiński the Brigade and city flags that had accompanied the artillerymen on the Golan Heights.
Representatives of the Bractwo Kurkowe Grodu Zabrzańskiego, which preserves old artillery traditions, took part in the jubilee celebrations. European King of Marksmen Tadeusz Żyła himself inducted Col. Kłosiński, Gen. Kochanowski and Gen. Skibiński as black-powder artillerymen.
The ceremony concluded with a concert by the Representative Artistic Ensemble of the Polish Army, held in the Forum hall. The artists performed both traditional soldiers’ songs and contemporary works (“Żeby Polska była Polską” by Jan Pietrzak and “Mury” by Jacek Kaczmarski).
(23rd Artillery Brigade information/ii)