Voluntary preparatory service allows young soldiers to learn about military life and gain new experience. 23rd Silesian Artillery Regiment in Bolesławiec:
Only one step now separates the volunteers in preparatory service from receiving the pass to professional service. The trainees are currently acquiring basic and essential knowledge of the military profession, which will allow them to join the ranks as professional soldiers.
The intensity and pace of the training process increase every day, and daily military duties are no longer unfamiliar to any trainee. The soldiers:
The training day resembles the one every soldier remembers from basic training and begins very early, at 5:30 a.m., with physical exercises under the supervision of squad commanders. This is followed by a quick morning wash, breakfast and roll call, where appearance must be beyond reproach, because the company commander personally checks the trainees’ polished boots and shaves every time, and he gives no special treatment.
Every day, the trainee company uses the firing range, drill square, training ground near the barracks and other training facilities. “Firing the first shot from a firearm is an incredible feeling, and the tremendous noise and recoil that accompanied it intensified my experience. Training is very intense every day, and I can confirm that I have felt tired more than once,” comments one of the trainees.
“Halfway through the training, it can be said that, alongside military knowledge, discipline is an important factor demonstrating a soldier’s worth, morale and mental condition. During basic training, the trainees must adapt to the prevailing conditions of military life, which differ considerably from those at home, as well as to military discipline and rigor. They are getting better at it every day,” says squad commander Cpl. Dawid Górski.