The ceremony, which took place on 27 May, was attended by: Colonel Mirosław Polakow, representing the Operational Commander of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland; Consul of the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in the Republic of Macedonia Tomasz Wielgomas; commander of the 16th rotation of the East Multinational Battle Group (MNBG-E), Colonel Wayman Storey, together with his successor, Colonel David Woods; JRD East chiefs Edward Cloyd and Jonathan Hardsock; the senior national representative at KFOR Headquarters, Colonel Zygmunt Malec; a delegation of the Polish Special Police Unit in Kosovo, headed by its commander, Junior Inspector Cezary Luba; and commanders of contingents from other countries.
After the report was submitted and the national flag raised, the commander of the 27th rotation of the contingent, Lieutenant Colonel Jacek Wera, summarized the tasks carried out by the KFOR Polish Military Contingent and thanked his subordinates for six months of hard work and effort devoted to carrying out tasks in the mission area.
The next part of the ceremony included the handover of the Standard of the KFOR Polish Military Contingent between the outgoing commander, Lieutenant Colonel Jacek Wera, and the incoming commander, Lieutenant Colonel Remigiusz Zieliński. The transfer of command of the Polish Military Contingent in Kosovo was completed by submitting a report to the chairman of the Command Handover Group, Colonel Mirosław Polakow, and signing the protocols for relinquishing and assuming the duties of commander of the Polish Military Contingent.
The new commander of the KFOR Polish Military Contingent, Lieutenant Colonel Remigiusz Zieliński, said: “As part of the East Multinational Battle Group, together with components from other countries operating under the auspices of NATO, we will participate in maintaining peace and democracy במסגרת the KFOR stabilization mission in Kosovo. As ambassadors of our country and Armed Forces, we are aware of the challenges ahead of us and intend to carry them out to the highest standard.”
After the special order was read out, the outgoing commander presented decorations and distinctions to soldiers and civilian employees, and also honored the MNBG-E commander, the JRD chief, the Polish consul in Skopje and the commander of the Polish police in Kosovo with commemorative gorgets.
At the end, a delegation of soldiers from the 27th rotation unveiled a commemorative plaque, while the color guards changed the flag on the contingent’s flagpole. The flag of the 5th Artillery Regiment from Sulechów, which had formed the 27th rotation, was replaced by the flag of the 23rd Artillery Regiment from Bolesławiec. The ceremony handing over the duties concluded with a parade of the contingent’s subunits.
The KFOR Polish Military Contingent in Kosovo is carrying out a stabilization mission and forms part of the East Multinational Battle Group. As part of its operational activities, the Polish contingent performs tasks involving monitoring compliance with international agreements and treaties in order to create conditions for safe living and the normalization of the situation in its area of responsibility.
The core of the new, 28th rotation of the Polish Military Contingent in Kosovo consists of soldiers from the 23rd Silesian Artillery Regiment in Bolesławiec—the unit responsible for forming and preparing the contingent—as well as the Special Branch of the Military Police from Mińsk Mazowiecki and the 1st Storage Battalion from Olsztyn, belonging to the 1st Logistics Brigade.
(information: Capt. Remigiusz Kwieciński/ii)