At Camp Bondsteel, American soldiers marked the 237th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. To mark the occasion, the Multinational Battle Group – East organized sports championships and a festival for soldiers and civilian employees stationed at the base.
Celebrity Independence Day began with a meeting between MNBG-E commander Colonel David Woods and subordinate soldiers and civilian employees at the Joint Operations Centre (JOC). Woods presented the significance of the holiday in the history of the United States. On this occasion – to highlight the participation of our compatriots, Generals Kazimierz Pułaski and Tadeusz Kościuszko, in the fight for U.S. independence and to thank them for the good cooperation between the forces of the Republic of Poland and the U.S. Army – Lieutenant Colonel Remigiusz Zieliński, commander of the 28th rotation of the Polish Military Contingent KFOR, honored Colonel Woods with a commemorative gorget.
One of the events marking the holiday was the international sports championship at Camp Bondsteel, organized by the U.S. side. Representatives of the countries comprising MNGB-E took part in the sporting competition, including soldiers of the Polish Military Contingent.
The championship began with a 5-kilometer race, in which the Polish soldiers achieved strong results. Captain Bogumił Krupiński of the National Support Element crossed the finish line second, while Corporal Tomasz Kargul, commander of a maneuver company squad, took fourth place. The other soldiers representing the Polish Military Contingent finished in the top fifty, out of nearly 200 participants.
The sports disciplines in which the contingent made its presence clearly felt included volleyball – first and second place for the Polish Military Contingent KFOR teams; basketball free throws – second place; tug-of-war – third place; as well as table tennis, darts and snooker, in which the Polish soldiers had no equal.
The official conclusion of the championship took place on July 7. Multinational Battle Group – East commander Colonel David Woods thanked the teams for their fighting spirit and commitment. Celebrity Independence Day concluded with the winning teams being honored with medals and commemorative gorgets.
The Polish Military Contingent KFOR in Kosovo carries out a stabilization mission and is part of the Multinational Battle Group – East. As part of its operational activities, the Polish contingent monitors 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 Unit of the Military Police from Mińsk Mazowiecki and the 1st Storage Battalion from Olsztyn of the 1st Logistics Brigade.
(information: Capt. Remigiusz Kwieciński/ii)