On September 17, 2015, during live-fire exercises by the 1st Tank Battalion at the training ground in Świętoszów, a Leopard tank caught fire. As a result, the tank’s crew sustained injuries: four soldiers from the 10th Armored Cavalry Brigade in Świętoszów.
On October 9, 2015, at the Eastern Center for Burn Treatment and Reconstructive Surgery in Łęczna near Lublin, Pvt. Michał Pawlicha died as a result of his injuries.
He was posthumously promoted to the rank of sergeant. He was a soldier in the 3rd Tank Company of the 1st Tank Battalion and had served in the military since 2012. He was 23 years old.