The oath-taking ceremony—due to restrictions related to the coronavirus—was modest in nature and, once again, took place without the families and loved ones of the soldiers taking the oath. The guests present were limited to the participation of chaplain Capt. Maciej Gizicki and Major Mieczysław Owczarz, representing the Military Recruitment Office Commander in Bolesławiec.
Lieutenant Colonel Robert Wiese:
The military oath is one of the most important and solemn events in every soldier’s life, and the words of the oath embody values that give meaning to military service while also teaching responsibility and discipline.
“I, a soldier of the Polish Armed Forces, swear to faithfully serve the Republic of Poland…”—these words of the military oath were spoken by 59 preparatory-service recruits training for the enlisted corps, while Pvt. recruit Bartosz Sikorski spoke on behalf of his colleagues.
The volunteers had completed four weeks of intensive basic training in the barracks (and elsewhere) under the supervision of experienced instructors. The training concluded with the so-called tactical loop, an examination summarizing the knowledge and skills acquired to date.
The newly sworn-in soldiers now face the final step toward professional military service: military qualification in the military unit selected by each volunteer.
“I hope that you will join the ranks of our military unit and other units of the 11th Armoured Cavalry Division,” added Lieutenant Colonel R. Wiese.
The military oath ceremony also provided an opportunity to present letters of congratulations to distinguished preparatory-service recruits:
- Michał Wróbel,
- Dominik Ochędzan,
- Marcin Kaczmarek,
- Marek Mordal.
At the end of the ceremony, accompanied by the Żagań Military Orchestra, the soldiers sang the Representative Song in accordance with military ceremonial protocol and took part in a parade of subunits.